Pip, the house sparrow

The video is the short story of Pip.
Found in our own garden, we have a big group of sparrow living in our roof. On both of the long sides of the house they have nests. Every year we find a couple of dead young who are tossed out of the nest because they died or pushed out.
But Pip was laying in the grass, far from the nest. He was thrown out by one of his parents. The reason we can only guess, because he was in good health.

I took care of him day and night. The first days I checked up on him constantly and fed him every half hour. I did not expect him to make it, simply because it's still such a tiny and fragile animal.

He grew up in my room, this is where he learned to fly. He was tame, used to humans and used to the cat. For these reasons I couldn't set him free. He wouldn't know the dangers outside and no one tought him how to find food, make nests, interact with other sparrows or find food for his own young.
Also, he seemed satisfied with his life as a pet. To him I'm still his mother, he loves to snuggle up. Sleep on my arm, lap or shoulder. He follows me in my room where ever I go. And even if I let him out while I'm in bed, he will come to snuggle up against me and fall asleep.
He gets out of his cage daily, at least twice a day. My room is big enough for him to fly around. Also he hips on the ground, picking up the seeds he tossed out of his cage. He takes a bath almost every day and he's always having a good time, even if he has to entertain himself.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Bird Pip House Sparrow

[MtnGirl26]

Great vid! I have a fully fledged juvenile with an injured keel bone. I think he might become a permanent part of the family since he can't fly well. What do you feed? Do you offer grit?

[sindbadlover]

@MtnGirl26 I feed him food for wild national birds. Plenty of sparrows around here, so there's enough food in there for him. But also a lot he doesn't eat. For his insects I feed him mealworms and a special insect food. He doesn't get that too much, but the worms he gets about 3 to 6 a day, depending on his hunger for it. He gets grit, eggfood, spray millet, bread and fruit as snacks. When he was still young I kept it at catfood and worms untill he could eat seeds himself.

Good luck with yours.

[Rock1554]

He Looks so adorable! How old is he now?

[sindbadlover]

@Rock1554 He's 1,5 years old. Black beak and in great condition. I would like to upload another video of him but he's incredibly camera shy. As soon as I point it at him he flees.

[mollybabygirl1]

You nursed this little bird with love, so cool. I love this song, who is it?

[sindbadlover]

@mollybabygirl1 Blind Pilot with 3 Rounds and a Soun (:

[avienne66]

Have you read Providence of a Sparrow, by Chris Chester? If not, you must. It is a beautiful book about a house sparrow that changed a man's life.

[RadtasticNinjaChick]

Such a sweet story... Seeing this video just warmed my heart! :)

[dedicateddad]

Great vid - he seems like a cool little buddy!

I'd have mixed feelings about freeing him

Birds really don't "teach" their young how to build nests - when they fledge they toss them out of the nest and they're on their own... They're born with the knowledge they need - which is pretty darn awesome if you really think about it, ESPECIALLY given the complexity of the nests some of them build...

That said, in your home he's warm, fed and safe from predators and other dangers.

Follow your HEART!

[Mousefern]

I have a song sparrow witha broken wing, I hope it lives. :(

[boz987]

Long live Pip! He needs a Pipette.

[andrenjames]

i fonuded four small house sparrows too. in my back yard there mom was killed by a cat so i keeped them so now they started to fly...

[lalalaura141]

oh my gosh! i have a house sparrow too. he`s a male as well. And his name is also PIP!!!! :D how awesome is that!!! my family and i found him as a hatchling in our yard. We believe that his mother was killed by a hawk:( but we raised him and he is alive and well!:)

[stellapolaregirl]

Your Pip is sooo lovely! I like it so much!!

[DietPepsi19970]

aww that sparrows soo cool