I can't leave her home alone, help!!!

[Pidgeot]

As I stated in my last post, I rescued a house sparrow fledgeling a week or two ago. I believe it's a female and her official name is Sophie

I've been bringing her to school everyday in her cage so I can feed her in between classes, since nobody is ever home while I'm away. (I leave at 7:30AM and come back home usually around 4PM or 5:30PM [tuesdays and thursdays, since I have violin lessons those days]).

Everything has been going well; Sophie is healthy, active, and happy.

The problem is, my assistant principal isn't too happy with her. Today she told me that I can't be bringing her in anymore because she "doesn't like it".
And even after explaining to her that I can't leave her alone, she said that she "doesn't care", which I found extremely ignorant.

Sohpie doesn't do anything bad. She sits quietly in the nun's office and never bothers anyone.

So my question to you all is...

How can I leave her alone at home for 9 hours five days a week? She can't really feed herself, even with feeder crickets.

Can I possibly leave a dish of mushed up food in her cage in hopes that she will pick at it?

She is fully feathered, around 2.5 weeks old. She can hop around and fly a little (but I clipped her wings).

I honestly don't want to lose her...we've spent so much time together already and the last thing I'd want to happen is for her to starve to death because of an ignoarant woman.

 

[Daisy's Mom]

Thank you Stephy for taking such good care of this little one.. I have no advice other then to call the Wildlife Rehab for help/advice. Here is one in Ohio..Contact Us

 

[Birdbabe]

Hi sweethaert, she definatly is too young to leave alone,if you cant take her with you, you can give her a morning feeding and leave her with seeds, not crickets. Is there someone else who can override the principle? It sounds like it would only be a couple more weeks till shes self feeding. Have you been picking at seeds with her watching? Youll be surprised at how fast they pick up on feeding. Is there a friend or someone who can babysit? I have smuggled babies into work before, not saying to do it, but maybe the nun could help. It may be hard but if you cant provide for her due to a witchy principle, you may have to take her to a wildlife rehab. Im sorry to tell you this, but you only want whats best for Sophie. Personally, I wouldnt have clipped her, before she learned to fly, I want to thanked you for helping her and wish you the very best. Please keep us updated.

 

[Bokkapooh]

WHY would you clip her wings? She is a house sparrow... That's so sad...

When I handraised Sapphire, I was 12y.o. I hatched her. Sapphire was my female house sparrow. She did fine being home alone. Eventually at 12 days old my mom found her in my bedroom and fed her once/twice in the day even though it wasn't needed, I would wake up every 2 hours at night to feed her.

I'm still shocked you clipped a house sparrow...

 

[Bokkapooh]

Alrighty, so you rescued this fledgling a week ago, and she is/was now flying. She should he 4 weeks old and close to weaning. Fledgling means a chick close to flying and a housesparrow at that time is about 3 weeks. Right now offer a good seed/pellet mix on cage papers, dont use a grate. And also offer romaine lettuce and carrot pieces and other vegetables. Feed live bugs only when your around and only when she flies to you. You will recall train her this way. Meaning she won't fly around silly willy but will fly to you for food and comfort. Please don't ever clip her again. If you cannot safely have a flighted tamed house sparrow you need to look for a wildlife rehabber right now so she can be introduced to her own species and released.

 

[suncoast]

I would ask that nun if she's ever heard of St. Francis.

Ginger

 

[Birdbabe]

Ok, Im back. I didnt have time to read your other post as I was at work. Baby looks old enough to begin picking at food. You said scrambled eggs? Great! Now lets try crushed pellets, seed. Sesame seeds, anyhting like that that. Is she drinking water? If shes picking and drinking you should be able to leave her. If your concerened, like I suggested ealier, give her a tube feed right before you leave ans she could pick by herself. She should be ok, just check her the minute you get home to see if theres anything in her crop. Shes adorable, your doing great. Good luck.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Ok, Im back. I didnt have time to read your other post as I was at work. Baby looks old enough to begin picking at food. You said scrambled eggs? Great! Now lets try crushed pellets, seed. Sesame seeds, anyhting like that that. Is she drinking water? If shes picking and drinking you should be able to leave her. If your concerened, like I suggested ealier, give her a tube feed right before you leave ans she could pick by herself. She should be ok, just check her the minute you get home to see if theres anything in her crop. Shes adorable, your doing great. Good luck.

I would not suggest a tube feed to someone without asking themif they know how to tube feed. Its a very very risky process for the untrained. At 4 weeks of age, this house sparrow can be left alone, with food to pick at and toys to smack around. She will be ok.

 

[Pidgeot]

I had to clip them because when I was holding her, she got excited and flew away (I NEVER seen her fly so..quickly!) and she almost hit the ceiling fan (which was on at the time). Luckily I managed to gently snatch her in time before she hit it...that wouldn't have ended well

 

[birdlvr466]

Wild birds should be taken to a wildlife rehab facility where they are equipped to take care of wild birds. I agree the wing clipping was a bad idea. Are you planning on trying to keep this bird? If not, then you totally should have called a wildlife rehab facility.

 

[JLcribber]

I would ask that nun if she's ever heard of St. Francis.

Ginger

And then ask the Nun if she can have a discussion with the assistant principle about "compassion". (God loves all his creatures equally, great or small. Such a shame that man doesn't)

 

[Bokkapooh]

If your home is unsafe for a wild bird to be flighted, which house sparrows HAVE to be kept flighted. It's time to give her up to a wildlife rehabber. It's not fair to keep her if you cannot care for her.

 

[waterfaller1]

For the future

 

[CeciliaZ]

I live in Ohio - found a baby sparrow that fell out of it's nest at work - was sitting in the hot sun all day - no trace of mom around and too high to put back in its nest. I took it to a rehab center - they would not take it since it was a bird not native to Ohio - if I left it there it would have been euthanized. they gave me a sheet on what to feed it. I brought it back home - it was close to fledging but it only lived a couple days. I don't think a rehab center in Ohio will take it.

 

[waterfaller1]

I would ask that nun if she's ever heard of St. Francis.

Ginger

I understand your compassion, but do you really think it is wise to suggest this young lady should be disrespectful to a nun?
School is no place for pets. What if they allow it, then more people want to bring them to school? We should consider things from the school's standpoint, though I do not agree with the way she put it. *sigh* bad situation..
I hope the baby will be ok by himself. I also hope you will reconsider keeping him, and find someone who can keep him properly. That means being with other birds, so he can learn birdy things, with little human contact, so he can be set free when his wings grow back.

 

[Pidgeot]

Wild birds should be taken to a wildlife rehab facility where they are equipped to take care of wild birds. I agree the wing clipping was a bad idea. Are you planning on trying to keep this bird? If not, then you totally should have called a wildlife rehab facility.

Sparrows, pigeons, and starlings are three wild birds that are not under any sort of law (meaning you can do whatever you want with them, even kill them ). I've had many house sparrows in my life (most of them I gave away to friends who wanted one as a pet) and this ones definitely a keeper. A very close friend of mine has a pet starling named Lloyd whom she had ever since it was a wee one (he is soooo friendly). I feel comfortable with Sophie, she's gotten so used to me and isn't scared to be held or cuddled

 

[Pidgeot]

Update----

My mom said that she can take care of it while I'm away at school. She's a caretaker for elderly people and said everything will be alright. Tonight I'm going to teach her how to feed it (which isn't hard).
When I first found the sparrow, it was half bald. It could barely move; the photo in the last post was a picture I took of it about a week later.

I live in Ohio - found a baby sparrow that fell out of it's nest at work - was sitting in the hot sun all day - no trace of mom around and too high to put back in its nest. I took it to a rehab center - they would not take it since it was a bird not native to Ohio - if I left it there it would have been euthanized. they gave me a sheet on what to feed it. I brought it back home - it was close to fledging but it only lived a couple days. I don't think a rehab center in Ohio will take it.

I did the same thing a month or two ago when I found another baby; I called my local wildlife center and they told me that they cannot take house sparrows because they're not protected under any law. They said that if it were something like a robin, or a blue jay, or a goldfinch, then they would accept it.

 

[Birdbabe]

Bokkapoo, I mean no disrespect, but if shes been caring for this baby then she surely knows how to feed it, tube feed or not. She probably knows what I mean.

 

[Mrcrowley]

Bring it up to principal and sell the fact that the bird does not interupt any work OR Get a science teacher involved maybe they can get a class to help out as part of curriculum get someone to back you up .

 

[Mrcrowley]

And then ask the Nun if she can have a discussion with the assistant principle about "compassion". (God loves all his creatures equally, great or small. Such a shame that man doesn't)

We are smaller creatures caretakers they were gift from god not for us to use and exploit and you hit the nail on the head