# In The Beginning, There Was Izzy



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Izzy arrived nest and all on a warm spring day in 1987. He was found by utility workers trimming tree branches away from power lines. He had been held captive, to his nest, by thread that was raveled around the front toes on his right foot and intertwined in the nest it's self.
What was it? Not a starling, not a sparrow, not a robin nor a jay. Izzy's true idenity would remain a mystery until the first molt.
Getting the bird to eat was challenging enough. He would not open his mouth and had a rather disagreeable look about him. He must have been terrified and I was terrified too. This was my third baby bird ever and the other two had been cooperative. A friend came to help. I held the bird, she pried his beak open with her long fingernails and my husband put pieces of moistened dog food in the bird's mouth. Three people to feed one little baby bird. WOW! 
When I tried to remove the thread, the front toes fell off. They were swollen and black. Only the back toe remained. 
After the third horrific feeding, it got easier and Izzy graciously opened his mouth. I could handle the feedings on my own.
Soon he was flying around the house and terrorizing the other birds. He chased the starling and myna birds pecking at their tail feathers. Smaller than either of them, they were frightened of him non the less. Always busy. Busy Izzy.
At night he would do summer-saults in his cage, keeping the other birds awake. I finally put him in a little picknic basket at night just to keep him quiet. Every night I would bring him upstairs and put the basket by the bed.
Once Izzy molted we were able to identify him as a brown- headed cowbird. I'd never seen one before. Brown-headed cowbirds are parasite birds. They lay their eggs in the nest of a host bird after removing that bird's eggs. The host bird incubates the cowbird eggs and fosters the babies. 
As the months wore on it became increasinly difficult to catch Izzy to put to bed at night and even more difficult to catch him in the morning to put back in his cage. He also started doing quite elaborate mating displays for me. He looked so silly puffing up and trying to keep his balance with his club of a foot. The noises he made were a scream too. He sounded like a monkey.
One morning, I was struggeling with trying to catch Izzy. He clearly didn't want to be caught and seemed to enjoy the game. He flew to the kichen with me right behind him. Just then, my husband opened the back door coming in from outside. Izzy just kept on going.
I never intended to release Izzy because or his lack of toes but if I had planned it, I would have wanted some ceremony. No ceremony. Izzy didn't even look back or so I thought.
For days, weeks and months I looked for my Izzy bird. I worried that he wouldn't survive the winter months. I worried he wouldn't find his own kind. I had a dull ache in my heart where Izzy was concerned.
The following May I heard a persistant cheeping that was louder than the other baby bird noises I was accustomed to hearing in my yard. I sat on the deck and watched as a Fox sparrow pair kept flying back into the laurel hedge with food. The cheeping was definately coming from the laurel hedge. Poor exhausted Fox sparrows were feeding a baby bird much bigger than they. It was a Brown-headed cowbird. Izzy had not forgotten after all.
Every year since, I have had one baby Cowbird grow up in my yard, always fostered by two exhausted fFox sparrows.
I heard the familiar cheeping yesterday.


----------



## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Wow, that's an amazing and wild story, though very true to form. I never
did understand what they did w/the other eggs, Charis, do they eat them?
Anyway, sweet/bittersweet at the same time, and must soothe the dull 
ache in your heart to hear the familiar cheeping and see two worn-ragged Fox Sparrows
racing around your back yard every year.

fp


----------



## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

What a wonderful story. While reading of his escape I knew he would be back. An amazing bird. I hope you also will see Izzy some day again.

Thanks for sharing

Reti


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

fp,
I think they just push them out of the nest. They also have the ability to mimic the host bird's eggs in appearance. Quite amazing.


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

What an amazing and wonderful story, Charis. Sad for the little sparrows but wonderful that the Izzy legacy lives on.

Terry


----------

