# Look what I found outside my house!



## budgiecakes (Aug 23, 2014)

Came home for lunch today and found this little buddy at the base of a tree crying. It's a baby cardinal and the parents were flying around calling to it.

At first I freaked out because I thought it had fallen out of a nest, but after looking for some time I still couldn't find one. Turns out, it's a fledgeling and that cardinals typically fledge like this and stay on the ground for up to 2 weeks while the parents feed it and it learns to fly??
Who knew? I guess what I thought was a cardinal fledgeling with full feathers was actually a juvenile?

I picked it up off the ground and put it in a tree, where the parents seemed happy to have their baby back. By the time I got home it had jumped onto the ground out of its own volition. I watched it run across the ground with the parents still calling out to it. Looks pretty healthy to me! As of now it's run around the side of our building and found shelter inside a thick bush where I hope the neighbors' cats and dogs won't be able to touch it.

I went home afterward and told my budgies how lucky they are. They get all the toys and treats while other birds have to sleep in a bush.... Kiwi promptly jumped on my shoulder and bit my neck lol

That ungrateful little poop


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Cute pictures of the little fellow!
Thanks for sharing the story with us. *


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

He's precious  What a lovely little chap  Thanks for sharing!


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## Budget baby (Jan 1, 2013)

Well he is obviously getting enough to eat by the looks of him LOL. Very cute picture :budgie:


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

Aww, the little one seems to be quite lively! 
While they don't have the toys like our pet birds do, wild birds still have fun and can also play. The thinner tree branches make good swings for them, I also see juvenile sparrows (clutch siblings most likely) and other small wild birds playing around with each other either on the ground or even during mid flight.


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

Oh he's so tiny and cute  I love him


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## budgiecakes (Aug 23, 2014)

I know right? He is super cute! My friend said he was ugly but cute... sort of like a pug? lol

I was curious to see if he was still in the same place today, I didn't see him but his parents were around doing some "guarding behaviors." So I guess they moved him but he's still nearby.

Today, the bush I left him in yesterday had a new occupant. Came face to face with an angry chipmunk who gave me the scolding of my life lol

so many squeaks.... >_>

EDIT: Just kidding! Came out of my house after lunch and found him under the same tree he "fell" out of yesterday. Not going to lie guys, I will probably end up stalking this little chick for the next two weeks just to watch him finally fly 




Here's a picture of Dad who didn't let me get very close... tried to take a picture of mom but she was too fast for me!


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

Oh I'd definitely be stalking too he's just the cutest little thing ever  the dad looks pretty fierce guarding his family


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## PetiteLola (Jul 21, 2009)

Wow! So cool that you found him and that you're able to stalk him


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## Jonah (Feb 3, 2013)

Thank's for sharing the pic's and the adventure with us...


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## budgiecakes (Aug 23, 2014)

awww guys... I hate to say this but... I was all excited when I came home to see if he was still around with his parents...

But when I got there he was already dead 
One of his legs was broken with a compound fracture, I have no idea how. Perhaps another wild animal got him? 

People don't let their dogs off leash in my apartment community and cats also do not roam around outside so it wasn't human carelessness. I guess mother nature just didn't want him to survive


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm so sorry to hear that. 

Rest peacefully sweet baby.*


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

Oh noooo! The poor little thing. I'm so sorry to hear this. RIP little baby.


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## nuxi (Oct 28, 2014)

That's sad! RIP little Baby bird!


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## budgiecakes (Aug 23, 2014)

What a poor fella... I hope the parents have some that survive next season. After this happened I did some reading, apparently songbirds have 30% chick survival rates by design so that they don't overtax their habitats.

It's just sad the suffering of animals lower on the food chain is built into nature


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