Evening star., 1946-08-05
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceDeU.
"BERKELEY SPRINGS. w. Va

Dear Sir:
Your very interesting articles have
encouraged me to write to you in re-
gard to problem now have in regard
to blue jay that picked up one day
which had fallen to the ground from
his nest.
"He is now very tame, eats from
a dish, drinks from cup, also takes
a bath. He is about 7 weeks old, and
seems about grown, but has broken a
number of feathers from one wing,
and is not able to fly any distance.
Il put him out of the window on q
tree every day, and he never leaves,
but comes back to the house to be fed,
for bath. also to sleep at night.
Now although he is free, he shows
no inclination to revert to the wild
stage, but he is very tame with a friend
and myself and still begs to be hand
fed. He is very smart and likes the
house.
Now our problem is what is to be
done with him, as this house closes in
September. From your knowledge of
birds, do you think that there is any
chance of his becoming self-reliant and
flying of with the other birds?
1O 1dl llc pays llO dtCCIlGlOu 10 QlTQS
but rather wants to be petted by my
friend and me. He is very cute, trills
a little and twitters when talked to or
we feed him.
"Any advice as to how to break his
wanting to be in the house will be ap-
preciated by me.
Every sincerely, A. &C
"P. S.-He eats scrambled egg, egg
yolk, unsalted meat cooked, raw beef.
chicken liver and gizzard cooked. He
gets bugs in the trees, but must be fed
three times daily just the same"
Baby blue jays are among the least
self-reliant birds, when brought up bv
human beings.
They become very attached to their
foster parents, and often refuse to leave
before they are year or two old.
There was local family which had
a jay as an honored guest for full
two years.
In that time they became very fond
Of 1t. The bird had the run of the entire
house. 1t flew around as 1t pleased, and
perched where it chose
1t went out every day, but also came
back, until one evening 1t found the
bath room open, flew out, and never
returned, leaving saddened household
behind
Maybe there is a tip here for our
correspondent.
Jays, despite their large, bold looks,
are at first rather on the timid side.
If allowed out they always are at
tackled by other birds, hence the broken
feathers.
This treatment of the young bird
seems to make 1t more of recluse than
ever.
So no one who makes a pet of the
Jay should expect it to take to the
airways until 1t becomes full bodied and
vigorous
This will last another month, at least.
Blue jays must be between two and
three months old before they can hold
their own with other birds.
In nature they are protected by their
father and mother Older birds are kept
on. Usually jays fly together as family
group all fall and winter.
Often five of six, comprising father
and mother and three or four children,
will visit any yard in winter where food,
especially peanuts-unsalted-ar put
out.
We would advise our correspondent
to wait until the last of August before
making any attempt to put this bird
out. Then keep it out as much as pos
sible, and begin to withhold the house
feeding.
Let it stay out some night; and the
next evening open window somewhere
before darkness falls. and see II the bird
will not fly out of its own accord. Once
1t really gets taste of the outdoors,
1t will revert, because it Is a wild bird,
and outdoors Is its natural place and
life.
If 1t simply will not leave, 1t may
be brought back in cage, and kept as
a pet until next spring. These birds
make fine pets. but always take to the
air at last.