# Urgent Help with Baby Crow



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Appreciate any advice, I know the rule of thumb is leave birds well alone, but I have a baby crow in my garden, it's definitely a fledgling, my cats were stalking it, but had not touched it yet, the parents were screaming, which is how I noticed.

I got my cats in, and watched it, it just wandered around the garden for a few hours - the parents are still in the tree.

But now another cat is stalking it, I've been spraying the other cat with a hose pipe when it comes into the garden but it's getting cocky - it just pegged it half way across the garden in an attempt to swipe the baby bird quickly - the bird doesn't make any attempt to fly or even move away.

I got it with the hose pipe and now the cat is sitting on the back wall, watching, and I've recruited my mum to stand guard right now but eventually the cat is going to get it. Any advice?

Should I just leave it to nature? It's not my cat, I don't know who's it is - there are quite a few in the neighbourhood so I can't ask the owners to keep it in. I phoned the RSPCA and they said leave it, crows fledge on the ground and it would be flying within a few DAYS - there is no way it is going to survive an hour being stalked by a cat let alone days, and the parents can't get down to the ground to encourage it or do anything whilst the cat is about anyway.

I also tried putting it on the lowest branch of the tree the parents are in and it fell straight back down to the ground and made no attempt at all to fly - it doesn't seem to be afraid at all, of me or the cat, but is bright and alert. We're watching from inside so we shouldn't be bothering the parents now but we have to keep nipping outside to squirt the cat with a hose pipe and it's a very persistant cat!

I live in the city centre, it's a very urban area, we have back to back wall to wall gardens so theres absolutely no where safe I can move it that the parents can still see it, but it's safe from the neighbourhood cats, and whilst I can keep mine in, I can't keep others out, and my dogs will need to use the garden eventually too!


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## Evilshiddenclaws (May 25, 2010)

i think the best thing to do is leave it to nature. otherwise your just gonna be constantly squirting cats for the next few days.

i had a baby crow here where i work/live in boarding kennels, it was fortunate enough to be in the area with the cat pens meaning no dogs could get to it and the cats were all behind bars, he hopped around for 3 days and then decided to fly. i named him Edgar :blush:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

I certainly wouldnt leave it to nature
Heres some advice from Corvids sticky on the wildlife thread

Corvids (Crows, Magpies etc)

Corvids go through an extra stage between nestling and fledgling called branchling. during this stage they leave the nest before they can fly, but spend the time climbing in the branches of the nesting tree. ocasionaly they will get something wrong or get caught by the wind and end up on the ground. in most cases they will attempt to climb back up the tree themselves. most corvids, will continue to feed these grounded birds as long as it is safe for them to do so, however it will help for the young bird to be placed as hight as posable back in tree rather than being left on the ground. the one exception is rooks. due to the areas they nest, if is often very dificult for the branchling to climb back up the tree, and the parrents will not feed on the ground. if you find a grounded young rook it will almost always need to be brought in. young rooks and crows look very similar, as both have feathered beaks, but the easiest way to descide which it is, is to look up. if there are a number of large stick nests above you, then you are in a rookery and the bird is more than likely a rook. if there is just a single nest then it is probably a crow. Corvids can be fed in much the same way as the smaller song birds, and will have a pink gape.


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

The local vets said I could take it to them and have it PTS if I was sure the cat was going to get it anyway, but that that's all they could do for wildlife. I put a plate of high protein cat food out as advised by them and the crow has been eating it so I think he's feeding himself, there are now two cats on the back wall! My garden is the only one with a tree in it on my street and there is definitely no nest in the tree so I really don't know where he came from. He doesn't seem to be able to fully grip the branch when I try to put him up in the tree, he holds it for a few minutes but then he just falls off!

If anyone knows any wildlife centres in south/mid wales or Bristol with aviaries where they can rehabilitate and release young birds please PM me the details, I would be prepared to travel to get him to someone who will release him when he's ready.

I fear if I take him in and feed him he will not really know how to feed himself or learn from other birds and I don't know if he could be released then, as I don't have an aviary for him to learn in.


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## RhianB87 (Oct 25, 2009)

Centres _ Wales


Theres a few places on there that could be worth a call. 
Hope it all works out ok


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Wildlife Rescues in Wales

http://www.helpwildlife.co.uk/SouthWest.html


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## Omerov1986 (Feb 11, 2009)

id love to have a crow! keep it as a pet! and use an air rifle on those cats


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## catastrophyrat (Jul 8, 2009)

If it's at the age where it can feed itself it might not imprint on you -i took in one similar age once and reared it until it could fly then it went to a rescue to be released on their land tbh i would keep it safe until you get it to a rescue.


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## stubeanz (Mar 28, 2007)

personaly id leave it to nature BUT if you want to help and its close to fledgeing then put it in a open box lined with towels and if you have a garage or a spare room then put it in there.... leave a bowl of mealworms and chopped up chick/mice if you have any and within a few days it should be ready to fly, dont disturb it or touch it during its stay and then when its ready just open the door and hopefully it will still be fearful of humans and yet be able to fly.


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## catastrophyrat (Jul 8, 2009)

stubeanz said:


> personaly id leave it to nature BUT if you want to help and its close to fledgeing then put it in a open box lined with towels and if you have a garage or a spare room then put it in there.... leave a bowl of mealworms and chopped up chick/mice if you have any and within a few days it should be ready to fly, dont disturb it or touch it during its stay and then when its ready just open the door and hopefully it will still be fearful of humans and yet be able to fly.


yes that's also good advice -it will also be in a familiar area that way


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## marthaMoo (May 4, 2007)

See I know people say leave it to nature, but nature isnt getting killed by someones pet cat for the fun of it. Nature is getting killed by an animal that needs to feed.

I personally would pick it up.

Try giving Peter at Budget vets a ring and asking him about wildlife centres. 
Budget Vets


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## Bassy1019 (Jan 21, 2010)

Pick the baby crow up, I have one here at the moment in my aviary, if you keep it do not let it go til sept over wise other crows will kill it. Phone corvid aid up please! It deserves a chance, if I was closer I would have it from you to go with baby I have got. Come sept I will release him if u want any advice pm me, I keep jackdaWs myself


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Panic over, thanks for the links, I've found a wildlife rescue 30 minutes away that have 3 other crows in an aviary at the moment and he can go and join them until he's ready, the parents left about an hour ago and haven't come back so I'm going to put him in a box overnight and then take him there first thing in the morning, he won't have his parents but he'll have some other crows to learn with and be released in a week or two when they're all ready


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Thats great news:no1:


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## Evilshiddenclaws (May 25, 2010)

i seem to remember reading that it'd illegal to keep crows as pets...


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

It's not illegal to keep crows as pets... 

That's great news!! I love crows and this little guy deserves a chance  Well done


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