# Another little visitor



## aluz

Since the temperatures here are getting higher, the gardener workers have been cleaning up the forested areas, cutting bushes, weeds etc and also trimming tree branches as a precaution for fires.
Well, while I was walking my dog I found a little European goldfinch chick whose nest got destroyed during the clean up. He was very weak and the sole survivor of his clutch. The parents were long gone and leaving him behind would easily turn him into a meal for a stray cat.
I took him home, he was very dehydrated and I thought I couldn't save him.
Somehow I managed to take him out of the danger zone and he perked up quite a bit. This isn't the first time I have taken care of this species of bird, in the past I have fostered goldfinch eggs into my breeding pairs of canaries. I have also taken in wild goldfinches who were injured and needed a bit of help before being set free again.

With this fellow, I don't have any bird to foster him into, so I have been doing all the feeding and I must say I have been successful thus far! 
During the whole week I have had him, he has grown most of his plumage and is now looking more like a proper bird.
When he is hungry, the moment he sees my fingers his mouth opens up a whole lot and he lets out the sweetest of little baby chirps! 

I took these pics yesterday, you may not agree with me but he is so very cute.
022 by aluz391, on Flickr

He is used to being handled now and looks quite happy
023 by aluz391, on Flickr

This is my favourite pic of him, he was hungry and about to beg me for food. 
024 by aluz391, on Flickr

He may be small, but perches well and has a strong grip already
025 by aluz391, on Flickr

Cute as button! 
026 by aluz391, on Flickr

I already have a home lined up for him, since I have been raising him, he is not a good candidate for being set free and he will be kept as a pet. 
I doubt I will be able to keep him, with a flock of 8 budgies and 6 loud lovebirds, I don't think the goldfinch will like all the noise and will be much happier with other songbirds, like canaries or other species of pet finches.


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## nuxi

Awww! He's so cute and tiny!:loveeyes: I'm glad you rescued him!


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## Jonah

What a cute little guy....bless you for taking care of him Ana...


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## Niamhf

Aww I feel like crying! Especially at his sad little face when he's begging for food. I'm so glad you were able to rescue him and take him in - he is in great hands. What an absolutely gorgeous adorable tiny baby I love him!! 
I really hope he does well. 
Thanks for sharing.


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## StarlingWings

He's beautiful, Ana! You are wonderful indeed for taking in this little one. Glad he will find a good home! The pictures are so cute 
I must ask, though: what do you feed him?


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## PrincipePio

Wow, what a cute little chick! I am so happy that he ran into you and that you saved him! Such an inspiration to us all


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## FaeryBee

*Ana,

Thanks and karma for taking in the sweet baby goldfinch and giving him all the tender loving care he needs to survive. :hug: 
You are the best! :hug:

I love the pictures you posted of the little cutie! 
Best wishes as you continue to prepare him for life in his new home with canaries and finches to keep him company.

I hope you'll be able to give us some photo updates before he leaves your care.*


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## deriksen

He's most adorable! I'm so happy you found him - he couldn't have asked for a better place to be. He's a lucky little bird


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## aluz

nuxi said:


> Awww! He's so cute and tiny!:loveeyes: I'm glad you rescued him!


Thanks, Gaby! This little fellow keeps me very busy, but it's worth it, he has also found his voice and his chirping is like music to me. 



Jonah said:


> What a cute little guy....bless you for taking care of him Ana...


Thanks, Randy! Hopefully this journey will have a good ending, so far so good! 



Niamhf said:


> Aww I feel like crying! Especially at his sad little face when he's begging for food. I'm so glad you were able to rescue him and take him in - he is in great hands. What an absolutely gorgeous adorable tiny baby I love him!!
> I really hope he does well.
> Thanks for sharing.


Thanks, Niamh! I'm doing my very best that he continues to grow and weans well. 



StarlingWings said:


> He's beautiful, Ana! You are wonderful indeed for taking in this little one. Glad he will find a good home! The pictures are so cute
> I must ask, though: what do you feed him?


Thanks, StarlingWings! I did what my conscience told me, I just couldn't leave the little one to die. At least he has a chance now.
I have been hand feeding him proper formula for chicks and also some egg food. He's still young to crack seeds, but I will soon offer him a finch seed mix as well as veggies, he is almost at weaning age.



PrincipePio said:


> Wow, what a cute little chick! I am so happy that he ran into you and that you saved him! Such an inspiration to us all


Thanks Bethany! I can't wait to see him all grown up and independent, that would mean job well done. 



FaeryBee said:


> *Ana,
> 
> Thanks and karma for taking in the sweet baby goldfinch and giving him all the tender loving care he needs to survive. :hug:
> You are the best! :hug:
> 
> I love the pictures you posted of the little cutie!
> Best wishes as you continue to prepare him for life in his new home with canaries and finches to keep him company.
> 
> I hope you'll be able to give us some photo updates before he leaves your care.*


Thanks, Deb! I will be updating on the little fellow. 



deriksen said:


> He's most adorable! I'm so happy you found him - he couldn't have asked for a better place to be. He's a lucky little bird


Thanks! He is a fighter that's for sure and I'll keep on helping him out till he is able to eat on his own.


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## despoinaki

What a cute little soul is this?  Ohhhh such a lovely baby!!
Thank you for being such a caring person and you took him home with you! 
I think he is going to thrive and be a tame goldfinch when he grows up! 
He is very lucky!!


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## aluz

despoinaki said:


> What a cute little soul is this?  Ohhhh such a lovely baby!!
> Thank you for being such a caring person and you took him home with you!
> I think he is going to thrive and be a tame goldfinch when he grows up!
> He is very lucky!!


Thanks, Despina!  Time will tell, but most likely he won't remain tame after weaning and being more independent. For now he appears to be people friendly, he can't take his eyes off me whenever he is awake.

I will later update on the little fellow and post another photo or two.


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## aluz

The little goldfinch is doing really well and eating like a champ! 
My father is quite taken with him and comes over on purpose to whistle at him and see how things are going. 
Maybe the little one will be staying in the family after all, but of course I'll put his happiness first and do what's best for him when the time for decisions comes.

I found a name for him and since this is the second chick I have been hand feeding from an early age, I decided to remain with the Game of Thrones theme of chicks raised by me and named him Oberyn.

Now for the pics, I took these this morning right after feeding Oberyn.
001 by aluz391, on Flickr

You can see his full crop here, it's the yellow part right below his beak.
This was before cleaning him up from its feeding.
002 by aluz391, on Flickr


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## Niamhf

Oberon is such a little darling


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## despoinaki

I am glad you're thinking to keep him- I know I would! 
He looks full and content about his dinner!  
You're doing such a good job caring for him!


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## aluz

Oberyn has reached another milestone today when he decided to give a big jump out of the nest, flap his wings and land on me. I'm proud that he gave his first short flight and landed on my knee. 
It's impressive for such a tiny little fellow, for now he is only able to fly for a very short distance and he is unable yet to gain height.

Here are a couple of pics I took of him yesterday. There are some slight changes on him, his body is a bit more elongated, his beak has grown in size and his feet have also grown quite a bit.

002 by aluz391, on Flickr

003 by aluz391, on Flickr


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## nuxi

He looks so cute!:loveeyes: I'm glad you think about keeping him!


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## Niamhf

What a sweet little baby. Congrats on your first flight Oberyn


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## ISOE

He is very sweet, but please, if you can, return him to the wild. I've had single birds where they have been successfully re-released back into the wild, cutting down on un-necessary handling and interaction is key. After all, he is a wild bird. 

Please don't think I'm being rude but as nice and cute as they are, it's better to see them living wild as opposed to human emotion getting in the way.


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## aluz

ISOE said:


> He is very sweet, but please, if you can, return him to the wild. I've had single birds where they have been successfully re-released back into the wild, cutting down on un-necessary handling and interaction is key. After all, he is a wild bird.
> 
> Please don't think I'm being rude but as nice and cute as they are, it's better to see them living wild as opposed to human emotion getting in the way.


I appreciate your concern and if you read my first post, you'd see I didn't have much of a choice. If I hadn't taken in the chick, it wouldn't have any chances of survival. 
This chick was also a scarce few days old and it was a miracle I managed to feed him and see him thrive. I really doubt this goldfinch will be successful in the wild since I have been doing most of the raising. I have nursed back to health and rehabilitated a fairly good number of wild birds and I don't think this one will be a good candidate. 
Here in my country there are plenty of goldfinches of this species that are bred and raised as pets.
I'm trying to do my very best for the little fellow. It's better to live for many years as a pet than to have life cut short within the very first week after hatching. He can still lead a fulfilling life and be a happy bird.


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## ISOE

I did read your first post and wasn't questioning whether you should've saved him or not, as I think most people in your scenario would have.  I'm just saying that many birds raised alone which have come from the wild, have a chance to be released by absolutely no interaction apart from when it's time to feed them, so no talking or picking up unless needed.

I've just found that in my line of work, I've been left with wild hand raised birds which could've been released.


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## Niamhf

I can see both sides here and I know everyone has Oberyns best interests at heart. I have also rescued many wild birds and animals and rehabilitated them and have where possible re-released them back to the wild. Thankfully in most cases this was possible and its a lovely feeling being able to do that. However it does come down to each individual scenario and I think the best judge of that is the rescuer PROVIDED they are well trained and capable putting the bird/animals best interests before their own or are at least guided by an expert.

Of course it's best to not handle them much if a chance of survival back in the wild is a realistic goal for them however unfortunately that is not possible in all cases.


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## FaeryBee

aluz,

Oberyn is doing great under your care! :thumbsup:

It's exciting that he had his very first flight and landed on your knee and I'm truly enjoying seeing the pictures of this spunky little fellow and reading the updates.

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Oberyn's journey.
He is so fortunate you found him and have the experience to raise him into a healthy and happy adult.

:urock:


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## BeakerandOlive

Awwwwww! He is adorable! So glad you are helping wild animals and not just companion pets!:urock:


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## aluz

ISOE said:


> I did read your first post and wasn't questioning whether you should've saved him or not, as I think most people in your scenario would have.  I'm just saying that many birds raised alone which have come from the wild, have a chance to be released by absolutely no interaction apart from when it's time to feed them, so no talking or picking up unless needed.
> 
> I've just found that in my line of work, I've been left with wild hand raised birds which could've been released.


I understand and it's not like I am constantly playing with the chick, which is something I do not do. I only pick him up for the still many feedings per day, I can't help the fact that the chick has begun to follow all of my moves, to hop on my hand the moment I go near him for feeding time. After feeding I take a couple of pictures to document his progress and growth and that's all.
I do pet his head in order to make him interested in the food, the little petting encourages him to take the food more willingly.

Believe me I have this bird's best interests in mind and all I want is for him to be safe and healthy. Suffice to say I will put his happiness before my own.
At this point I don't think he will thrive in the wild, he has had no learnings and I seriously doubt an unrelated same species wild bird will teach Oberyn to fend off for himself in the wild, search for food and be successful.
No matter what happens, I will decide what is best for him taking into account all factors.



Niamhf said:


> I can see both sides here and I know everyone has Oberyns best interests at heart. I have also rescued many wild birds and animals and rehabilitated them and have where possible re-released them back to the wild. Thankfully in most cases this was possible and its a lovely feeling being able to do that. However it does come down to each individual scenario and I think the best judge of that is the rescuer PROVIDED they are well trained and capable putting the bird/animals best interests before their own or are at least guided by an expert.
> 
> Of course it's best to not handle them much if a chance of survival back in the wild is a realistic goal for them however unfortunately that is not possible in all cases.


I agree and when the time comes I will decide what I think is best for little Oberyn.



FaeryBee said:


> aluz,
> 
> Oberyn is doing great under your care! :thumbsup:
> 
> It's exciting that he had his very first flight and landed on your knee and I'm truly enjoying seeing the pictures of this spunky little fellow and reading the updates.
> 
> Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Oberyn's journey.
> He is so fortunate you found him and have the experience to raise him into a healthy and happy adult.
> 
> :urock:


Thanks again, Deb! This has been quite a ride and very rewarding as well. 



BeakerandOlive said:


> Awwwwww! He is adorable! So glad you are helping wild animals and not just companion pets!:urock:


Thank you! It's the least I can do, it's a great feeling to help out little ones in need.


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## Niamhf

Please keep us posted about Oberyn I love hearing about his progress


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## ISOE

Well, good luck with him regardless.  I would discourage him hopping on your hand and not picking him up when feeding him, as you say you still feed him many times a day which should be cut down as it looks as though he has a lot of his feathers. 

Again, I hope you don't think I'm being horrible, it'd just be a nice ending to have him released back from where he came from.


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## nuxi

aluz said:


> I have nursed back to health and rehabilitated a fairly good number of wild birds and I don't think this one will be a good candidate.
> Here in my country there are plenty of goldfinches of this species that are bred and raised as pets.
> I'm trying to do my very best for the little fellow. It's better to live for many years as a pet than to have life cut short within the very first week after hatching. He can still lead a fulfilling life and be a happy bird.


I agree with you,Ana! I don't think the little bird will survive in the wild. He might be better off as a pet bird with lots of love and care and hopefully many years to live!


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## aluz

Niamhf said:


> Please keep us posted about Oberyn I love hearing about his progress


Will do, Niamh! 



ISOE said:


> Well, good luck with him regardless.  I would discourage him hopping on your hand and not picking him up when feeding him, as you say you still feed him many times a day which should be cut down as it looks as though he has a lot of his feathers.
> 
> Again, I hope you don't think I'm being horrible, it'd just be a nice ending to have him released back from where he came from.


Thanks!  Of course ideally I would like to return him to the wild, but as of now I don't think that would be the best when it comes to his survival.
Since Oberyn is fast approaching weaning age, I have been hand feeding him 4 times per day on average, sometimes 5, which I find it's still a lot. He gets two or three lighter feedings and another two more substantial. I am also introducing him to all different types of food but for now he is showing little to no interest, not even at the finch seed mix.



nuxi said:


> I agree with you,Ana! I don't think the little bird will survive in the wild. He might be better off as a pet bird with lots of love and care and hopefully many years to live!


Thanks, Gaby! We will see how things go and hopefully he will live a long and happy life.


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## aluz

The last couple of days have been uneventful, but today little Oberyn has finally started to be curious about his seed and trying to nibble on it! 
Once I'm sure he is eating enough on his own, I will be sending him to a breeder friend of mine that has canaries and finches. 
After having thought a lot about it, I have decided this is the best for Oberyn's overall happiness. Most likely he will be placed at first with the current juvenile canaries that are in the process of fledging and later on they will all move to the big outdoor aviary, where he will have lots of room to fly and carry on with his life.


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## nuxi

Thanks for the update,Ana! I think it's a good idea to give him to the breeder. I'm sure he will be happy in a big aviary. Do you plan to visit him sometimes?


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## aluz

nuxi said:


> Thanks for the update,Ana! I think it's a good idea to give him to the breeder. I'm sure he will be happy in a big aviary. Do you plan to visit him sometimes?


I think so too, Gaby!  
It's going to be about a 40 minutes drive so I won't be able to visit Oberyn often, but I will certainly get updates on him.


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## Didoushkaya

Well done Aluz for the time, efforts and patience you have put into rescuing this little bird. You've done great and finding him such a suitable home is really the best you could have done for him. You are an inspiration and I will be sure to come to you for advice if I ever come across a lonely chick.
Thank you also for sharing with this community. Karma to you


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## aluz

Didoushkaya said:


> Well done Aluz for the time, efforts and patience you have put into rescuing this little bird. You've done great and finding him such a suitable home is really the best you could have done for him. You are an inspiration and I will be sure to come to you for advice if I ever come across a lonely chick.
> Thank you also for sharing with this community. Karma to you


Thank you so much for your words and the karma!  The fact that Oberyn is a real fighter has also helped a whole lot. I just gave him a good boost and have been miraculously successful in raising him, considering the conditions I found him in. These types of stories more often than not can have a really sad ending and I'm glad to have beaten the odds in this case.


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## aluz

Early this morning I took little Oberyn to his new home, he did really well on the car ride and was very excited the moment we got there and he heard all the singing from his soon-to-be flock. 
He wouldn't stay still for a second, the pics I tried to take of him were too blurry to even recognize a bird in them. 
I'm just happy for Oberyn having reached so far and being a healthy and independent juvenile. I'm fully confident his new owner will take great care of him.


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## Brienne

What a lovely story and a happy ending for Oberyn, well not an ending, so much, but the beginning of a new chapter of his life...Thank You for caring for the little guy and giving him a helpful start...


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## aluz

Brienne said:


> What a lovely story and a happy ending for Oberyn, well not an ending, so much, but the beginning of a new chapter of his life...Thank You for caring for the little guy and giving him a helpful start...


Thanks, Susan! I'm very glad everything went well and that I was able to make a little difference for the better in this bird's life. 
The hard work is nothing compared to the reward we get from seeing a happy and healthy bird, jumping/flying between perches and chirping around.


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## despoinaki

what a big journey for little Oberyn! He was very lucky to be found and cared by you!  Now he has a whole new life ahead of him.. I think he will be spoilt by his new owner! 
Thanks again for taking this little guy home!


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## aluz

despoinaki said:


> what a big journey for little Oberyn! He was very lucky to be found and cared by you!  Now he has a whole new life ahead of him.. I think he will be spoilt by his new owner!
> Thanks again for taking this little guy home!


Thanks, Despina! I've got word from Oberyn's new owner and he said Oberyn is settling in well with the juvenile canaries.


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## Niamhf

Aww little Oberyn  I'm so excited for him he's come such a long way thanks to your amazing care.


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## nuxi

I'm so glad that Oberyn feels well at his new home!


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## aluz

Niamhf said:


> Aww little Oberyn  I'm so excited for him he's come such a long way thanks to your amazing care.


Thanks, Niamh! Considering the state I found him in, I'm very happy with how Oberyn turned out, even if it wasn't possible to return him to the wild. 



nuxi said:


> I'm so glad that Oberyn feels well at his new home!


Me too, Gaby! I'm sure he'll be happier with all the other songbirds than he would have been with me and my loud and not so harmoniously melodious flock. 
I know I wouldn't want him to feel overwhelmed by my flock's singing to the point of Oberyn not wanting to sing. I know for a fact that this happens with canaries and most certainly could have the same effects on him.


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