Baby Blue Jay

[Jen413]

Alright guys. I found a baby blue jay while I was outside at work trying to get my "steps" in. I work down town so there wasn't a great place for me to put it. This was about two hours ago. I walked it up under the tree where it's parents were watching over it and let it be figuring Momma was still going to care for it. I went around to check in and it was in the road. So I picked it up and put it back in the small grassy area under the tree. A mean ole mocking bird tried to attack it as soon as I took a few steps. Momma jumped in. Then there was a cardinal and a brown bird as well as the mocking bird swarming it. I moved it into some ivy growing in a planter beside the back door of my building hoping Momma will come over here.

Should I take it home with me? I've had two baby mocking birds before that I took in at night and put in a play pen during the day that Momma came for every day and raised until they went out on their own. Should I do that? I'm thinking if I take it home tonight I could probably get something to fashion as a nest and attach to the fence between the two properties. The fence is about eye level with me because our building is lower than the one next door. What is the best option here?

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[Nancy in New York]

Alright guys. I found a baby blue jay while I was outside at work trying to get my "steps" in. I work down town so there wasn't a great place for me to put it. This was about two hours ago. I walked it up under the tree where it's parents were watching over it and let it be figuring Momma was still going to care for it. I went around to check in and it was in the road. So I picked it up and put it back in the small grassy area under the tree. A mean ole mocking bird tried to attack it as soon as I took a few steps. Momma jumped in. Then there was a cardinal and a brown bird as well as the mocking bird swarming it. I moved it into some ivy growing in a planter beside the back door of my building hoping Momma will come over here.

Should I take it home with me? I've had two baby mocking birds before that I took in at night and put in a play pen during the day that Momma came for every day and raised until they went out on their own. Should I do that? I'm thinking if I take it home tonight I could probably get something to fashion as a nest and attach to the fence between the two properties. The fence is about eye level with me because our building is lower than the one next door. What is the best option here?


I would take him home.
Were the parents/mom swarming you like warning you to stay away?
And the other birds attacking him too! :eek
Him going in the road is not what we want to see. Typically the moms will
shoo the babies back into cover, so not sure what's going on with this one.

[Jen413]

They have stayed with it the whole time. They were there earlier and when I found it in the road. It was right by the curb. Mom and dad were trying to warn me and were also going after the other birds. I tried to put it between the fence and the tree and they still went after it. So I picked it up and put it in the ivy.

Mom and dad found it in the bushes and are watching it and coming down to it. It hopped down out of the bush to follow them across the parking lot. I put it back in the bushes. I say bushes, it's really ivy covering this raised flower bed so if I can get it to stay it should be okay. I can hear the parents still calling from my office. The baby is right outside my back door. No others are trying to get it where it is now. I will probably take him home and try to come up with something to build it a nest and bring it back to them tomorrow. Hopefully they will come back for it.

I know it's sideways :P But this is mom or dad.

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[Nancy in New York]

Oh that's good that mom and dad are there watching it.
Now this is a tough call. I'm almost inclined to say leave it, if they
are watching over him. This is exactly what they should be doing.
If you bring it home, and then put it in some nest type thing, I have a feeling
he will just get out and this will start all over again tomorrow. :)

Edit: How big is the baby? Does he have little loose feathers on the top
of his head sticking up? Does he look pretty well feathered?

[Nancy in New York]

Does he look like any of these?

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[Jen413]

He's older than the last but maybe a little younger than the other two. He's SO CLOSE to probably being able to leave the nest on his own. I found a box and attached it to the fence with some balloon string. It was the only thing I had here at the office. I'm not sure it's strong enough. I put some shredded paper in it. He's settled down into the ivy and mom and dad are sitting in the tree above where the box is and are watching him. I don't want to move him because I feel like the cover of the ivy is more secure because he's covered better. However it's right by our back entrance where clients come in and I don't want the constant flow of people to drive mom and dad away. I'm just not sure what the right call is. I think if he's settled and mom and dad are watching then I should just leave him be for the night and bring something back tomorrow to attach to the fence under the tree. Hopefully he's had enough adventure and scares today to make him stay put now that he knows Mom and Dad are there fore him and he's safe. BTW I edited my first post to include a picture of him. Not sure if you saw it or not.

[Nancy in New York]

He's older than the last but maybe a little younger than the other two. He's SO CLOSE to probably being able to leave the nest on his own. I found a box and attached it to the fence with some balloon string. It was the only thing I had here at the office. I'm not sure it's strong enough. I put some shredded paper in it. He's settled down into the ivy and mom and dad are sitting in the tree above where the box is and are watching him. I don't want to move him because I feel like the cover of the ivy is more secure because he's covered better. However it's right by our back entrance where clients come in and I don't want the constant flow of people to drive mom and dad away. I'm just not sure what the right call is. I think if he's settled and mom and dad are watching then I should just leave him be for the night and bring something back tomorrow to attach to the fence under the tree. Hopefully he's had enough adventure and scares today to make him stay put now that he knows Mom and Dad are there fore him and he's safe. BTW I edited my first post to include a picture of him. Not sure if you saw it or not.

OK just saw it now. Definitely a fledgling and doing what he should be doing with great parents watching over him.
I understand your concern. BUT I think I would leave him and not risk taking him home, and mom and dad not accepting him tomorrow.
Tough call, but he's doing what he should be doing.
Bring something a little more secure in tomorrow and see if that works better.
I'd be surprised if he's still where you put him though. :) How these parents do this,
I'll never know. :dono

[Jen413]

I've pretty much come to that same decision. Everyone has settled down. Baby is still in the ivy with mom and dad in the tree watching. I think I'll let him do their thing. I really didn't want to take him home when they were right there watching and protecting him. My concern was mainly the other birds going after him (WHY?!? Mocking birds are such JERKS!) and him being in the street. Hopefully with him being under the cover of ivy everything will go back to however it's supposed to be. LOL. I just couldn't leave him there and let them attack him and if I found him dead in the street the next go round I would have hated myself. At least now he has some security and they can do what they are meant to do! Thanks for the input. Hopefully mom and dad don't attack any clients! HAHA!