Evening star., 1948-08-30
This and That
By Charles E. Trace1Uell
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CHEVY CHASE, Md
Dear Sir:
I'm our neighborhood is a robin that has
broken wing, and am hoping that you can
help me solve the problem OF what to do to
help him.
"The bird seems contented and well-and
eats. I keep water for him. and raisins, and
he is getting along very well now. but winter
isn't too far away and I was wondering what
you would advise doing for Mr.. Robin.
Should we try to catch him and set his
wing-or do you think it is better to just let
him alone-and try to keep food out for him?
rs there any person or organization in the
community that could help? + am a newcomer
to this part of the country, and certainly am
enjoying the many different birds here.
Il have three feeding stations, SO attract
many different birds to the yard The SPAR
rows are welcome, too, but the mortality rate
among them has been very high, think. Could
the grackles be responsible for this?
Enjoy your column so very mueh and I
have learned a great deal from it.
Thanking you, sincerely, M. E. j."
n n
1t is a wonder any common sparrow babies
ever grow up, they are SO tame, so utterly
trusting, both man and beast.
Grackles are the enemies of all small birds,
and no doubt take their ugly toll of young
sparrows, but two other factors are more
responsible for deaths of these particular birds
One has been spoken of, the lack of fear
The other is too much denatured breadstuffs,
OF which the sparrow babies are very fond.
Each OF these factors plays its part. There
is third. the fact that English sparrows have
too many young in a season.
Thirty-hve babies is no unusual thing. The
birds begin nesting, sometimes in March or
even in February, if the season is warm.
Out of so many young, the law of averages
would seem to make for few culls.
These are fat, abnormal babies that never
seem to thrive.
When they begin to eat bread from which
been removed, they ultimately fail and die
In thus using bread to feed birds, the kind
hearted persons with the best will in the
world, may become destroyers.
Small worms and insects are the proper
baby food" for all young birds, irrespective Of
whether they are seed eaters or not
English sparrows, being semidomestcated,
and having so many young to feed, are only
too happy evidently, to let the young birds
eat too much bread.
While cardinals and others insist on feeding
their young properly, the sparrow mothers
ard fathers are like indulgent parents who give
their babies cola drinks.
Young spa1rows are preposterously unafraid
1t is amazing and pitiful, to watch how
little sensible fear they have.
1t is possible TO stand right over them while
they are eating.
The mother bird f1utters in horror at the
spectacle from the safety of the shrubbery,
but the fat, foolish babies go right ahead
eating.
They have no way of knowing that the
person watching them is friend, rather than
foe. TIE mother and father take the sensible
attitude, that of fearing all humans equally.
1t seems sometimes, that human beings,
themselves will be driven to this, whether they
went to be SO fearful or not
Helping q bird with a broken wing is
difficult
Sometimes the wing may be bound to the
body, and If the creature can be kept quiet
in cage, there is some chance of it healing.
II the bird can get OF the ground, and
thus escape prowling animals, it is a good
plan, in many instances, to let it alone, and
see that it has plenty Of food and water.
Nature takes care of her own, at least to
some extent. Wild things have no doctors.
as we know them; rabbits. squirrels. raccoons
and others must heal themselves, or they are
not nealed.
This Is true mature cure" and it seems
to work out pretty well for the creatures.
Sometimes ZOO officials will offer to help with
such problems. The birdhouse, naturally, is
the place TO 60.
These men know all the practical problems
of dealing with birdlife, and are willing to
give their advice and sometimes their personal
care Of ailing songsters.