My strange bird experience from yesterday
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205609)
Walnut Creek, California
June 24, 2016 1:19pm CST
As I was heading to my car yesterday, I almost stepped on something right in the middle of the driveway/parking lot. At first, I thought, "How sad--a dead bird." The I noticed that its head was under its wing. A juvenile bird of some sort was sleeping on the ground in the middle of our driveway. I tapped the ground next to it. Nothing. I made an excited cockatiel sound. Nothing. I tweaked its tail. Nothing. Finally, I tapped it a few times on its birdie butt. It awoke with a peep.
I shooed it over toward the grass, and it hop-hopped along, made it over the curb, and over toward the bushes. Then I looked around to try and find a momma bird watching my actions. On the telephone wire, about 30 yards away, was a female robin, watching us. The fluffy juvenile was too small to be a mourning dove, and too large to be sparrow. So I figured it must be a robin.
I then left, so nature could take its course. My question: When juvenile birds first learn to fly, how to momma and papa bird get them back to the nest so they can get some rest and try again the next day? I wonder what kind of scolding this little guy will get for sleeping in a parking lot.
The photo is of a juvenile dove who spent a week or so staying on my balcony last Spring. I don't have any robin photos.
24 people like this
23 responses
@akalinus (40440)
• United States
24 Jun 16
That reminds me of a memory. I was watching birds on a flat roof below me. Two adult birds were trying to teach a baby to fly. Papa bird would fly up a few inches and then down again. the baby would run to the edge and look down and run back to mama who put her wing around him. Then papa would encourage him by flapping and rising up again.
I don't know if baby ever made it off the roof. I was at a meeting and watching during a break. I had to go back because the person we were waiting for showed up. I really hope he learned to fly.
4 people like this
@TheHorse (205609)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Jun 16
My hunch is that he did. I read that with mourning doves, it's the dad who does the teaching as well. Once the juvenile in the picture got decent at flying, dad would lead the juvenile on a short flight to the top of the car port, about 25 yards away. Then they'd return. The mourning dove in the picture stayed with me for a week during his flight school days. But I'm not sure he slept there. My balcony was his flight school. But I didn't see him there if I went out after 10 PM or so, so I'm not sure that it was his dormitory as well.
4 people like this
I'm glad you were able to shoo him to safety.@TheHorse (205609)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Jun 16
@JudyEv I should have recited a few lines of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening to him. A little Frost might have done him good. I bet his nest was on the balcony of someone who read Yeats's The Second Coming all the time. Dang "Goth" neighbors. So pessimistic.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7477)
• Canada
24 Jun 16
If they're out learning to fly they'll be fine. If they accidentally fall out of the nest, you can just pick them up and put them back. The idea that the mother will reject them because they were handled by humans is a myth.
3 people like this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
25 Jun 16
That reminds of the nest in our backyard with little birds.. one pushed the other out and so he gets all the food .. survival of the fittest i guess..
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
25 Jun 16
I hope he makes it, he is lucky he wasn't squashed like a bug in a parking lot
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
25 Jun 16
Sounds like you are becoming the birdman of pleasant hill!
2 people like this
@celticeagle (158931)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Jun 16
It's all a slow process. It must have fallen. I hope you touching this bird doesn't cause it problems. The mom and pop may not come to its aid if a human has handled it too much. Good luck!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (158931)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 16
@TheHorse ....I think it is. Have watched documentary about it.
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@TheHorse (205609)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Jun 16
@celticeagle I just saw a momma robin getting some water and heading back to where I left the little guy. Maybe all is well.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (457918)
• Switzerland
25 Jun 16
When the birds quit the nest they usually do not come back. I think that the young sparrows go back to the nest because there are plenty of youngsters that come with the parents near my birdfeeders and then they follow the parents back to their nests.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
25 Jun 16
I had a similar experience with a stunned juvenile bird on my patio. I was wondering how the poor thing would make it back to the nest, since mom didn't stick around.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
25 Jun 16
@TheHorse Since it was very well protected where it fell, I just waited to see if it would survive the impact with my sliding glass door. It took a couple of hours, but it flew off eventually.
@abhinalstrikr (4111)
• India
25 Jun 16
they might not get scolding birds and animals are not bothered
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
24 Jun 16
Here, with the doves, it seems like momma bird gets their butts going, and then chases them around a bit to make sure they practice.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (18925)
• United States
27 Jun 16
Cute picture. Maybe the parents carry the birds with their feet.
1 person likes this
@mommymonky (325)
•
8 Dec 16
It's weird that it felt comfortable enough to sleep in the driveway.
1 person likes this
