# ugh, another starling.



## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

same resident that gave me the last one that said he'd found it under the dishwasher dumps another into the apartment i'm working in. jerk said if i didn't want it to throw it off the balcony  i dont have the means for a photo at the moment but this one seems a little older than the last. its able to run and is overall very excellent with its feet. it can almost fly as well, maybe 5ft then falling back down. gaps and screams at your hand.
does this one need to be rehabbed as well or is it old enough that i cant imprint it? i dont know if i have the time to go back down to olympia due to having to work and all. ill try though. any other options i might have?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Do you know where he found it? Maybe the dad is around and there are others.


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## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

he said he found it in his kitchen but that there are screens on the doors and windows and doesnt know how it came in. i did look around to see if i could find a place to put it. no visible nests


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## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

just to see where the little ones at in its abilities i took it into my backyard. its very agile and had excellent control. it fly hops but not yet fully flying. it did scream a lot and another bird with a similar scream became really intrested but never came close. i dont know what the other bird was. it couldnt have been a parent because we are now 8miles from the complex it came from.


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## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

i could put it on the a third floor balcony of a vacant apartment very near around the area it came from, maybe a couple apartments over.
would that work?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I wouldn't put it out unless I knew the parents were about. That would be a death sentence for sure.
Guess you have another Starling for a bit. At least your experienced now.


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## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

this one hates me though. if i try to feed itll try to escape. would it be old enough to eat on its own?


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## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

another stupid question... since this ones almost about to fly is there any way it would survive in a forested area? i know there are preditors, but maybe theres a chance?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Starlings need to learn to eat from their father and baby that doesn't know how to eat or has the protection of a flock won't make it. They are too vulneralble.


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## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

thanks charis. i left a message with the rehabber i gave the first one to. im hoping work will give me the time to drive it down tomorrow. since this one doesnt like me so much and it basicly screams and trys to get away from me will it be ok without food untill it gets to the rehabber? ill certainly be trying every once in a while to see if itll eat but if it doesnt..?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Soak the dog food you got last week, open it's mouth and put a piece in. It won't be long before it stars to cooperate. Must be very hungry.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

JMO...the little one doesn't hate you...he/she is probably just VERY HUNGRY...

Shi


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## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

i figured out that picking it up makes it scream at me with enough of its mouth open to put food in. otherwise it wont take anything.


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## Jazicat (Oct 31, 2005)

I would keep feeding it the way you are but other than that leave it inside in a safe place. The less human contact the more likely you'll have a good release. I really hope you can get it to the rehabber because that's the babies best chance. If you can't post and hopefully someone like Littlestar who rehabs starlings can help.

I've read all you've been doing for the birds near you and admire how much you care. Bless you for being such a good friend to the birds!


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

I wonder where the person "really" got them both from. If the person is giving them up, then I would think that they didn't go "hunting" for it....but you just never know.

It sounds like a fledgling, from your description. It can't be released in an unknown area, you have no guarantee that the parents are in that area. Starlings learn from watching their parents.

This one is most likely bird imprinted.
My Gabe was a fledgling when I got it. Gabe was/is bird imprinted, and reacted similar with me. You may have to force it to eat, or try tapping on its beak. The mouth should open....
You can put drops of water on the beak and let in suck it in. You can also feed in pieces of pilled grape, to help prevent dehydration.
Being a fledgling it probably doesn't like the touching, as most human imprinted ones don't, I can very easily see that this one wouldn't either.
My Gabe has a "no hands" thing....

Fledgling are fed by parents till they are eating on their own. My Gabe started eating on its own after a few weeks...
Being able to fly is normal. Starling fledglings are on the ground long enough to learn how to fly, which takes just a few days after jumping out of the nest.You don't know for sure the age of this one....

Hopfully the rehabber can be of some help. I'm new to the whole starling thing  .

Best of Luck!
-Hilly


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

fimbulwinter said:


> i figured out that picking it up makes it scream at me with enough of its mouth open to put food in. otherwise it wont take anything.


It has been awhile since we rehabbed "almost fledged" songbirds that I had forgotten that this is the best way to get them to eat. They are well past the automatic gaping age and you can't prize open their beaks without causing damage. I remember though that after a few times they would start opening their beaks to be fed.

Try breaking up some of the soaked chow and leaving it in its cage with some cut up grapes. He will probably start eating on his own fairly soon. Hopefully, you can get him to the rehabber in a day or two.

He is still a bit too young to fend for himself.


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## fimbulwinter (Jun 21, 2007)

the rehabber that took the last isnt returning my calls. hopefully i can find another one this weekend. how often do fledglings need to be fed?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

There is some very helpful information here: http://www.starlingtalk.com about the diet and care of starlings and sparrows.

Terry


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