Baby Orioles!

17 years ago

Hi everyone, I usually visit the blue bird forum because I try to have and keep blue birds in my yard. But today I had a baby bird issue at work. I work at a small College in our town and so do my neighbors who also love birding. I was working away when my cell phone rang, it was Jeff my neighbor, he said the UPS guy just witnessed a Halk rip a Oriole nest out of a tree and try to fly away with it but dropped it! the UPS guy picked up the nest and put it in a box and brought it in the building that my neighbor works in, they did not know what to do about it so Jeff called me and I told him I will be right up to help them. So what I did do and thought and pray was right was cut the nest open a little bit and what was thougt to be one baby turned out to be two! I took that box of baby's out to the tree they fell out of and put it at the base of the tree, within ten minutes Mom and Dad Oriole were frantically feeding and calling the baby's to them. We watched them for hours doing this. The baby's seem to get stronger and stronger as they ate more, they even began to climb the tree a little to get at Mom and Dad. These baby's have mostly feathers and lots of orange already and very little down so IM am praying that I did the right thing? That dang Halk tried twice to swoop the baby's but every bird in the area chased him away!

What do you all think? did I do the right thing?, IM so worried about them not making it now but I couldnt do anything else and wanted to get them out to Mom and Dad as soon as possible. Thank you all in advance for any info you can give me.

Gina

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Comments (3)

Elly_NJ
17 years ago
Hi Gina,

Nice job! Since they are feathered and mom and dad are there, looks like they were saved nicely. The only thing I recommend in the future would be to get the chicks off the ground, into the bushes or branches of the tree.

Thanks!
james_m_clark
17 years ago
What kind of tree is it? It sounds like Mom and Dad are coaxing the babies to a safer location. If the babies can climb the tree (fledglings can often hop short distances from branch to branch), they may be able to reach a safe place on thir own. If not, you can help by securely fastening a container that can drain rainwater higher in the tree, and put the nest and babies in it. They won't be safe on the ground if there are cats or dogs or certain wild animals in the neighborhood.

It's good to hear about compassionate people like you and your friends.

Jim
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We finally have them....North Missouri! We live in the country. Two years ago we had a baby oriole fall into the bed of our truck and a male tried to coax him into flying out but we never saw that he made it out; he kept falling where we were unable to get him When Winter came that year I found the nest hanging in that tree he had fallen out of. Then this year I found another nest still in the tree but it had to be a different one as the location had changed. Last year I put out the jelly feeder but I lost interest in it because I never saw anything there. I didn't even put out a nectar feeder. But they must have been around thus the nest. So this year, my husband said he had seen them so I put out the jelly jar feeder. It is working! I added some oranges a couple days ago and they have found it and now I'm seeing several. I have seen 2 females at one time and 3 males for sure so I don't know how many we actually have. I am paying attention to new bird sounds and hearing them for the first time. I am so excited!! lol They are hitting the nectar feeder too. Yippee! I have a question though....there have been 2 birds fighting to get the jelly and I don't know what they are; never have seen them before. They are smaller, probably sparrow size with black heads, back and wings but have dark rust breasts. Any ideas?
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bluesoblue
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for your responses guys. Jim, the tree I put the baby's under was a good size maple, when I first brought them outside I wasnt sure where to put them, but our UPS guy said he found them under this tree so I figured Mom and Dad would find them there easier? there is however losts of bushes just feet away from this tree so if they had to hop to them they could, but it seemed Mom and Dad were really trying to get them up that Maple? either way I just pray that they made it overnight? It is raining so hard here today so I just hope they are somwhere safe and at least a little bit dry? I may never know if they made it but I tried my best to help them, funny thing is my boss chewed me out for doing it! I would do it again because those little baby's needed a second chance. Thanks guys.

Gina

Baby Orioles!

Comments (3)

Elly_NJ

james_m_clark

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Baby Orioles!

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Elly_NJ

james_m_clark

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