What a runt!

Post by **Sally** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:05 am

This is the latest baby--from my #2 pair of Star finches--guess this is the best they can do!

They have tossed in the past, so this is their first success, an only child, and it doesn't look like Mom and Dad have done a great job. It looks like it left the nest a little soon, or it hasn't been fed quite enough, but the poor thing really looks like a runt!

This is day 1 of fledging.

This is day 2 of fledging. I had banded on day 1, and this thing is so tiny that the band went on very easy--well, now that I see this photo, it looks like it lost the band. So I will try to reband tomorrow, I think this one will be small enough still to band with the next size up. Poor little thing!

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:20 am

He is pretty small looking but he looks nice. i really want starts .I dont know how much they cost but this one lady has a yellow head male and red head female and a baby that she offered to me for $160 for all three. at the time i couldnt afford it and didnt know if it was reasonable price.

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:21 am

She also tried to sell me a strawberry male for $100, is that reasonable?

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:35 am

Gosh Sally it is so tiny ,but adorable.
Are you supplement feeding it? One of my shaftail babies looked
like that for a few days, but I feed it extra food and it is beginning
to catch up now. Is mom still feeding it?

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:09 am

Aw gotta love the babies. At least s/he's perching!

Post by **Sally** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:33 pm

It looks a bit better today. I rebanded it with a size D band (if banding at 7 days, it would take a C), and again, it was very easy to put on. If it comes off again, I will try a C. It has already tried to get the band off, so maybe it didn't just slip off before. It was trying so hard to remove the band that it fell over backward and rolled around on the floor!

I'm not supplementing food yet. This is the only baby they have, and I have observed them feeding it. It can fly, though still flies like one that is first day out of the nest. I am adding Survive to the eggfood, hoping it will get some 'high-octane' instead of the regular.

Post by **Sally** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:03 am

What a difference a few days make!

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:59 am

Looks a lot better.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:13 am

Can't believe that is the same bird. It is adorable!

Bonzo · Post by **Bonzo** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:25 pm

Sally wrote:What a difference a few days make!

How can a babys nails be so long already

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:59 am

What a change a few days makes.....he looked kind of tough in the first photo and now looks soooo much better!

Kiko · Post by **Kiko** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:26 pm

Amazing what a few days can do. I find it so interesting that the babies look so different from the adults!