Help needed!! PLEASE READ

[Aspen and Misty]

I have a baby bird named Downey. My cat Buddy brought him as a "present" to us. He is eating well and has no wounds on him. He is a very pretty starling. One of our friends who knows a lot about birds said 3 more days until he can be released!! Tomorrow is the third day and he doesn't know how to fly! Does any one know how to teach a baby bird to fly?? Also does anyone know how to teach him to eat his own food? I think he is eating it, but I wanna be sure. Please, please, please respond I really wanna get this little guy back out where he belongs.

[Heather Wallace]

It is probably not a good idea to let him go if he can't fly, the reason being he will just get chased by another cat or dog. What about taking him to a sancturay as they will be able to care for him better. I am sure you have done a great job with him and you should be proud!

[Aspen and Misty]

Thank you Heather Wallace for responding. I am not going to let him go unless he is eating well and flying well. We talked to the sanctuary I work at and we asked then to raise him and set him free but they just want to put him in a cage with there Red tail hawks and there Turkey volture. I want him to go free not be kept in a cage the rest of his life because my cat climbed and tree and took him from the nest. We also called our vet and they told us to call the sanctuary I work at and ask them to take it. So it is just one big circle. I have raised two other Starlings and they were set free last year. We think we see them because there are two that hang out in our back yard on top of the cage we used to keep them in to introduce them to the wild. We are hoping to make him our third bird we release.Please keep the suggestions comeing, I am open to anything and everything!

[Sam's My Baby]

Here is a website that might help you:

http://www.starlingtalk.com/babystarlings.htm

Maybe if you try putting something really yummy in his food, like worms, will make him eat it. To try to make him fly, maybe try putting him on a table or something thats not to high and leave him there and try to see if he will fly off.

[Heather Wallace]

Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
I have raised two other Starlings and they were set free last year. We think we see them because there are two that hang out in our back yard on top of the cage we used to keep them in to introduce them to the wild.

It must be a very rewarding thing to do! And also an amazing feeling when you see one of the birds fly free.

Well done!

[Aspen and Misty]

I went to the website you posted and posted on there message board. I don't know if they will answer me though. I don't even know if we will be able to release DOwney because he will be with us for another 3 or 4 weeks acourding to the website. tahnk you though it gave me alot of inforamtion. That was such a nice story. I am glad the bird made it!

[Aspen and Misty]

Buddy brought him from who knows where. We have no idea where Downey came from. We are just happy he is in our livesand we are able to help him back out where he belongs.

[Aspen and Misty]

I posted this on the other web site but they seem to not answer me, so I am going to post my questions and concerns here. Everyone on this web site has a starling as a pet so I wanted to know if I should keep him or release him.

My starling is Downey, He is I would say about 4 weeks old. My cat Buddy brought him as a “gift”. He has no wounds or anything on him. I think he has an attachment to me or at least I have one to him. I don't want to give him up but I don't know if my mother would allow me to keep him. I need to know some pro's and some cons of keeping them and some pros and cons of letting them go. I have owned lots of birds before and have done research on starlings for the past 2 years. Is it better for a starling that has been raised in captivity to be in captivity or released? I am afraid if I release him one of my neighbor’s cats will get him (she has 25) or one of my two will. I also don't understand the formula to feed a baby starling. My vet told me to feed him canned cat food. Can anyone explain the formula to me? Also I need to know how often to feed him, the web site says every 45 mins. Is that right for a 4-week-old one to? Sorry to ask so many questions but I wanna make sure I am doing everything right. Please please please answer me. I am desperate and love this little guy to much to let him die without putting up a fight.

PS: Is it legal to keep a starling as a pet in PA?

If anyone can answer these questions please help me.