# Baby learning to fly



## Cat (May 24, 2015)

Was outside drinking my morning coffee when a baby bird decided to drop down and say hello from one of the bird houses. It's time for the little thing to learn how to fly. I could not get a picture of mama since my phone died on me but she would drop down next to him. Now if only I could get a picture of one of the oreo birds we have hanging around. Need more oranges!


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## troy (May 24, 2015)

Cool, what species of bird is it?


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## John M (May 24, 2015)

Cute. But, it left the nest a bit early. It's flight feathers haven't reached full length yet. 'Needed a couple more days in the nest. Good luck to it. 'Looks like an English Sparrow (= House Sparrow).


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## SlipperFan (May 24, 2015)

An invasive species that bullies native birds. I hope it doesn't learn to fly.


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## abax (May 25, 2015)

Observations of my four bird feeders inform me that all
bigger birds bully smaller birds no matter what the species.
I can think of only one exception and that is hummingbirds...they all bully all the time at the feeder.
Oh, mourning doves crap all over the place in large splats.


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## Cat (May 25, 2015)

The little guy is still here. He was next to the greenhouse jumping around this morning when I got up to open the doors. On a side note, I also have some red wing blackbird babies in my sun room. The parents found a way to get in and out. Now when you try to read a book or something, you can hear and see the babies in the nest. The cats are not allowed in that room for now.


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 25, 2015)

Funny that your handle is "Cat" 

A couple days back climbing a local mountain a pair of Japanese tits (easy now Eric) nearly accosted me. They sat in branches just above and put up quite a fuss. I knew something was up. Returning back down the same trail 20 minutes later I found out why - their fledgling was on the ground trying to fly. It could manage short stints, but couldn't get any altitude. I wonder if it ever managed to get into a tree - down on the forest floor is a dangerous place full of snakes and weasels.


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## Wendy (May 25, 2015)

Playing in a golf tournament a couple years back our group was walking down the right side of the fairway when we were 'attacked' by two blackbirds. It seems we were too close to their babies who were leaving the nest. Needless to say we got out of there FAST. Man birds can be nasty! :rollhappy::rollhappy::rollhappy:


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## emydura (May 25, 2015)

SlipperFan said:


> An invasive species that bullies native birds. I hope it doesn't learn to fly.



Yes, they are an introduced pest here in Australia as well. Interesting that the English sparrow is in serious decline in it its native range.

http://www.biosphereonline.com/2014/02/15/citizen-scientists-uncover-reasons-house-sparrow-decline/

A rare albino form was seen in Australia last weekend - 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/rare-albino-sparrow/1870304.html


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## SlipperFan (May 25, 2015)

abax said:


> Observations of my four bird feeders inform me that all
> bigger birds bully smaller birds no matter what the species.
> I can think of only one exception and that is hummingbirds...they all bully all the time at the feeder.
> Oh, mourning doves crap all over the place in large splats.


But English Sparrows are among the smaller birds!

I've only seen Hummingbirds bully other Hummingbirds, not other birds. 

Then there are the smaller birds that chase away the hawks and other large predatory birds. That's always a sight.


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## abax (May 25, 2015)

The only hawk bullying I've seen is crows dive bombing
single red shouldered hawks. You're right, Dot, hummingbirds only bully each other and sometimes me.
I have been definitely menaced by a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers we have nesting in our woods. A Pileated
going straight for my head is hit the ground time.


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## cnycharles (May 26, 2015)

They are big!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bullsie (May 26, 2015)

Invasive doesn't always mean bullying. In many instances it can mean more aggressive feeding and territory claiming pushing out native birds. While English Sparrows here have made life difficult for the native Sparrows, the Starlings have become the worse, destroying native bird's nests, aggressive feeding including stealing it straight from native birds.


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## SlipperFan (May 26, 2015)

I agree, Starlings are nasty and also invasive species. They are funny to watch sometimes, though.


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## Happypaphy7 (Jun 7, 2015)

I thought it looked like a common house sparrow, or is it the same thing as English Sparrow??


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## SlipperFan (Jun 10, 2015)

Happypaphy7 said:


> I thought it looked like a common house sparrow, or is it the same thing as English Sparrow??



Same thing.


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## Kalyke (Jun 19, 2015)

SlipperFan said:


> An invasive species that bullies native birds. I hope it doesn't learn to fly.



I am not sure what you mean by invasive species. Turf grass? Europeans in America? Cows? 
Its a cute baby bird. It does not need a lecture about the ideal state of the world.


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## bullsie (Jun 19, 2015)

Invasive species means it is in a land that it is not native too. In most instances, they wreak havoc on native population. And extinction of native species can and will happen as a result. Examples are islands where rats/snakes were introduced decimating native wildlife.

I doubt the baby bird would understand a discussion of this nature.


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## SlipperFan (Jun 19, 2015)

As an example of what bullsie said: We have a bluebird house. Bluebirds are native birds of this area. The other day, I saw English sparrows taking over the bluebird house. The sparrows are very aggressive, chasing out the bluebirds and taking possession of the house. That means the bluebirds lose a season of breeding and the sparrows numbers will increase. But not on my watch.:evil:


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## Clark (Jun 19, 2015)

Bad girl.


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## SlipperFan (Jun 20, 2015)

Just trying to help the natives. :noangel:


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## bullsie (Jun 21, 2015)

SlipperFan said:


> As an example of what bullsie said: We have a bluebird house. Bluebirds are native birds of this area. The other day, I saw English sparrows taking over the bluebird house. The sparrows are very aggressive, chasing out the bluebirds and taking possession of the house. That means the bluebirds lose a season of breeding and the sparrows numbers will increase. But not on my watch.:evil:



Same problem with starlings here. Nephew came to work one day and said he was free a few starlings. What was up? He related that for a number of years the cardinals would make a nest in a shrub by his home. He and his wife looked forward to their beautiful tenants. He came home that night to an upset wife because the red birds (she doesn't know they are cardinals) newly built nest had been destroyed by the starlings. He made sure the 'red birds' had safe nests after that.


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## SlipperFan (Jun 21, 2015)

:clap::clap::clap:


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