[aluz]

Since the temperatures here are getting higher, the gardener workers have been cleaning up the forested areas, cutting bushes, weeds etc and also trimming tree branches as a precaution for fires.
Well, while I was walking my dog I found a little European goldfinch chick whose nest got destroyed during the clean up. He was very weak and the sole survivor of his clutch. The parents were long gone and leaving him behind would easily turn him into a meal for a stray cat.
I took him home, he was very dehydrated and I thought I couldn't save him.
Somehow I managed to take him out of the danger zone and he perked up quite a bit. This isn't the first time I have taken care of this species of bird, in the past I have fostered goldfinch eggs into my breeding pairs of canaries. I have also taken in wild goldfinches who were injured and needed a bit of help before being set free again.

With this fellow, I don't have any bird to foster him into, so I have been doing all the feeding and I must say I have been successful thus far!
During the whole week I have had him, he has grown most of his plumage and is now looking more like a proper bird.
When he is hungry, the moment he sees my fingers his mouth opens up a whole lot and he lets out the sweetest of little baby chirps!

I took these pics yesterday, you may not agree with me but he is so very cute.
022 by aluz391, on Flickr

He is used to being handled now and looks quite happy
023 by aluz391, on Flickr

This is my favourite pic of him, he was hungry and about to beg me for food.
024 by aluz391, on Flickr

He may be small, but perches well and has a strong grip already
025 by aluz391, on Flickr

Cute as button!
026 by aluz391, on Flickr

I already have a home lined up for him, since I have been raising him, he is not a good candidate for being set free and he will be kept as a pet.
I doubt I will be able to keep him, with a flock of 8 budgies and 6 loud lovebirds, I don't think the goldfinch will like all the noise and will be much happier with other songbirds, like canaries or other species of pet finches.

 

[nuxi]

Awww! He's so cute and tiny!:loveeyes: I'm glad you rescued him!

 

[Jonah]

What a cute little guy....bless you for taking care of him Ana...

 

[Niamhf]

Aww I feel like crying! Especially at his sad little face when he's begging for food. I'm so glad you were able to rescue him and take him in - he is in great hands. What an absolutely gorgeous adorable tiny baby I love him!!
I really hope he does well.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[StarlingWings]

He's beautiful, Ana! You are wonderful indeed for taking in this little one. Glad he will find a good home! The pictures are so cute
I must ask, though: what do you feed him?

 

[PrincipePio]

Wow, what a cute little chick! I am so happy that he ran into you and that you saved him! Such an inspiration to us all

 

[FaeryBee]

Ana,

Thanks and karma for taking in the sweet baby goldfinch and giving him all the tender loving care he needs to survive. :hug:
You are the best! :hug:

I love the pictures you posted of the little cutie!
Best wishes as you continue to prepare him for life in his new home with canaries and finches to keep him company.

I hope you'll be able to give us some photo updates before he leaves your care.

 

[deriksen]

He's most adorable! I'm so happy you found him - he couldn't have asked for a better place to be. He's a lucky little bird

 

[aluz]

Awww! He's so cute and tiny!:loveeyes: I'm glad you rescued him!

Thanks, Gaby! This little fellow keeps me very busy, but it's worth it, he has also found his voice and his chirping is like music to me.

What a cute little guy....bless you for taking care of him Ana...

Thanks, Randy! Hopefully this journey will have a good ending, so far so good!

Aww I feel like crying! Especially at his sad little face when he's begging for food. I'm so glad you were able to rescue him and take him in - he is in great hands. What an absolutely gorgeous adorable tiny baby I love him!!
I really hope he does well.
Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Niamh! I'm doing my very best that he continues to grow and weans well.

He's beautiful, Ana! You are wonderful indeed for taking in this little one. Glad he will find a good home! The pictures are so cute
I must ask, though: what do you feed him?

Thanks, StarlingWings! I did what my conscience told me, I just couldn't leave the little one to die. At least he has a chance now.
I have been hand feeding him proper formula for chicks and also some egg food. He's still young to crack seeds, but I will soon offer him a finch seed mix as well as veggies, he is almost at weaning age.

Wow, what a cute little chick! I am so happy that he ran into you and that you saved him! Such an inspiration to us all

Thanks Bethany! I can't wait to see him all grown up and independent, that would mean job well done.

Ana,

Thanks and karma for taking in the sweet baby goldfinch and giving him all the tender loving care he needs to survive. :hug:
You are the best! :hug:

I love the pictures you posted of the little cutie!
Best wishes as you continue to prepare him for life in his new home with canaries and finches to keep him company.

I hope you'll be able to give us some photo updates before he leaves your care.

Thanks, Deb! I will be updating on the little fellow.

He's most adorable! I'm so happy you found him - he couldn't have asked for a better place to be. He's a lucky little bird

Thanks! He is a fighter that's for sure and I'll keep on helping him out till he is able to eat on his own.

 

[despoinaki]

What a cute little soul is this? Ohhhh such a lovely baby!!
Thank you for being such a caring person and you took him home with you!
I think he is going to thrive and be a tame goldfinch when he grows up!
He is very lucky!!

 

[aluz]

What a cute little soul is this? Ohhhh such a lovely baby!!
Thank you for being such a caring person and you took him home with you!
I think he is going to thrive and be a tame goldfinch when he grows up!
He is very lucky!!

Thanks, Despina! Time will tell, but most likely he won't remain tame after weaning and being more independent. For now he appears to be people friendly, he can't take his eyes off me whenever he is awake.

I will later update on the little fellow and post another photo or two.

 

[aluz]

The little goldfinch is doing really well and eating like a champ!
My father is quite taken with him and comes over on purpose to whistle at him and see how things are going.
Maybe the little one will be staying in the family after all, but of course I'll put his happiness first and do what's best for him when the time for decisions comes.

I found a name for him and since this is the second chick I have been hand feeding from an early age, I decided to remain with the Game of Thrones theme of chicks raised by me and named him Oberyn.

Now for the pics, I took these this morning right after feeding Oberyn.
001 by aluz391, on Flickr

You can see his full crop here, it's the yellow part right below his beak.
This was before cleaning him up from its feeding.
002 by aluz391, on Flickr

 

[Niamhf]

Oberon is such a little darling

 

[despoinaki]

I am glad you're thinking to keep him- I know I would!
He looks full and content about his dinner!
You're doing such a good job caring for him!

 

[aluz]

Oberyn has reached another milestone today when he decided to give a big jump out of the nest, flap his wings and land on me. I'm proud that he gave his first short flight and landed on my knee.
It's impressive for such a tiny little fellow, for now he is only able to fly for a very short distance and he is unable yet to gain height.

Here are a couple of pics I took of him yesterday. There are some slight changes on him, his body is a bit more elongated, his beak has grown in size and his feet have also grown quite a bit.

002 by aluz391, on Flickr

003 by aluz391, on Flickr

 

[nuxi]

He looks so cute!:loveeyes: I'm glad you think about keeping him!

 

[Niamhf]

What a sweet little baby. Congrats on your first flight Oberyn

 

[ISOE]

He is very sweet, but please, if you can, return him to the wild. I've had single birds where they have been successfully re-released back into the wild, cutting down on un-necessary handling and interaction is key. After all, he is a wild bird.

Please don't think I'm being rude but as nice and cute as they are, it's better to see them living wild as opposed to human emotion getting in the way.

 

[aluz]

He is very sweet, but please, if you can, return him to the wild. I've had single birds where they have been successfully re-released back into the wild, cutting down on un-necessary handling and interaction is key. After all, he is a wild bird.

Please don't think I'm being rude but as nice and cute as they are, it's better to see them living wild as opposed to human emotion getting in the way.

I appreciate your concern and if you read my first post, you'd see I didn't have much of a choice. If I hadn't taken in the chick, it wouldn't have any chances of survival.
This chick was also a scarce few days old and it was a miracle I managed to feed him and see him thrive. I really doubt this goldfinch will be successful in the wild since I have been doing most of the raising. I have nursed back to health and rehabilitated a fairly good number of wild birds and I don't think this one will be a good candidate.
Here in my country there are plenty of goldfinches of this species that are bred and raised as pets.
I'm trying to do my very best for the little fellow. It's better to live for many years as a pet than to have life cut short within the very first week after hatching. He can still lead a fulfilling life and be a happy bird.

 

[ISOE]

I did read your first post and wasn't questioning whether you should've saved him or not, as I think most people in your scenario would have. I'm just saying that many birds raised alone which have come from the wild, have a chance to be released by absolutely no interaction apart from when it's time to feed them, so no talking or picking up unless needed.

I've just found that in my line of work, I've been left with wild hand raised birds which could've been released.