Help,what to do with two baby starlings

John Rambo said:
On the other hand, caring for them might be a useful exercise if the OP has kids to teach them the value of life and that they should look out for weaker creatures.
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Only if you believe that looking after "weaker creatures" in such circumstances only for them to die anyway or to be rendered unable to fend for themselves in the wild and then perish as a result is a good lesson to teach kids. I think not but others may have a different opinion.
 

It's difficult to know who is correct. I wouldn't question the actions of conservationists who take orphaned baby animals, look after them and then release them into the wild. Is this situation not the same but on a lesser scale? I do think caring for the starlings would teach children a more positive leason rather than leaving them to die 'because that's life'. It's also relevant that they were separated from their mother in the roof of a house which is an unnatural man made structure...perhaps if the house wasn't there they'd still be ok. I could be way off the mark here but I'd help the little fellas.
 
Many conflicting views there, I didn't ask to be put in this situation, thanks to those of you who gave useful advice, but the upshot is I still have two delightful starlings on my hands. I think it would be unfair to abandon them at this point, they can't fly just yet possibly another few days. When they can I guess I will just let them off, let nature take its course at that point. They may well die but if I left them where they were they would most definitely have died anyway.
 

Well done Zippy - youve done the best you can.
 

Good work Zippy...I think you've done the right thing
 
Tell me if this is a crazy idea, the parents are flying in and out all the time feeding the remaining chicks in the nest, what if I were to knock down the nest and have all the chicks together in the attic, do you think the parents would still feed all of them. Could I be left with five junior starlings?
 
You would be left with five starlings, once the nest is destroyed the parent birds will feel the area is unsecure and will move on. I'd nearly chance sticking them back in the nest as opposed to knocking nest down.
 
I have a starlings nest on the house eaves, do you think we could do a cuckoo on your orphans and place them in the nest???????
 
Well done Zippy for trying, although abandoning them might be the logical thing to do i know i couldn't do it, my heart isn't quite that hard!
 
I know you are trying to do the right thing here and well done for that but you have to let nature take its course. Breaking down the remaining nest IS a crazy idea as you seem to think yourself. I would just forget about it, try putting them as close to the nest as possible and leave them be. I am not sure if starlings have long memories but I am sure the parents have forgotten them now and are happy to have 2 less mouths to feed!

Some people suggested some recipe ideas, why not get 2 and 20 more and bake a pie.....no wait thats blackbirds.

FREE THE ZIPPY 2
 
One of our starlings passed away last night, the other one is however fighting fit. My daughter who is eleven is so attentive to her, she was out this morning first thing scouting for worms. I have no idea what to do, wait and see how it pans out I guess. I'm for the birds anyway,lol.
 
http://www.starlingtalk.com/

Hopefully not too late for No. 1.

I tried doing this numerous times in the past, we had a cat who used to take out the odd parent, leaving a nest full. It was always difficult to raise them successfully. I think we only had one success, that was a chick who was nearly fledged when we found it. Good look with the last one- hope it's a figher!!
 
Well our other wee starling flew off to bird heaven this afternoon. A few tears were shed, have to wear dark glasses for the rest of the evening. Thanks for all your advice folks.
 
Sorry to hear that zippy.

(BTW, if it happens again, I'm fairly sure starlings eat insects. Maybe the diet was wrong)
 
They eat worms as well because I always see parents flying to the nest with them hanging from their beaks
 
You tried your best zippy and well done for that. It's worth a try to save them but sad when it does'nt work out. Those little birds deserve their chance too. In fact I'm quite disappointed this year that no starling built on our eaves. They have been there past no of years, we've had disasters too with nests falling but for some reason this year they never re built. Last year my husband put a large board under their nests and it worked out great as all the droppings fell onto that. Lovely to see them coming and sad when they leave. I always think of a story that was in our Irish book years ago called Eoghainin na nEan, wonder do any of you out there remember that story about the little sick boy and the swallows. Nice story.
 
Very sad to hear that. You can do no more than that and the one thing I would hope is that you would do it again. I know some people here think that that's survival of the fittest, etc, but I think that its human nature to nurture, not just to pity weaker creatures, but to fight for life against the odds.
 
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