Page 38 - Hand rearing birds second

20 Hand-Rearing Birds

Figure 2.1 Just-hatched House Finch (1.5 g) with blue egg. Note grayish-brown down and beak shape
already conical/finch-like. Gape color is pink. Gape flanges will swell and become more yellowish.

imprinting phase birds may also learn what foods they need to find, where their birthplace is,
information about migratory paths, and in many species, songs and other species‐specific
communications. Incorrect imprinting occurs when a young animal imprints on something
other than its own species, in which case it may not be accepted by its own kind and thus will
be incapable of reproducing in the wild. Species known to be susceptible to incorrect imprint -
ing are gallinaceous birds (turkey and quail), waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans), coots, raptors
(especially some owls), some columbids (pigeons and doves), woodpeckers, roadrunners, cor -
vids, Pygmy Nuthatch, icterids (blackbirds and orioles), and other small songbirds (Immelmann
1972; ten Cate and Vos 1999). For these species, it is critical that the first object they see is (in
descending order of importance) a conspecific adult, a conspecific juvenile, or a combination
of a taxidermy mount, a conspecific nest buddy, a mirror, and a photo of an adult. Traditional
views of imprinting are that it is not reversible, but more current studies have shown that
imprinting may be more flexible or forgiving than once believed (Hoffman and DePaulo 1977;
Bolhuis et al. 1990). Until more is known, caregivers should take precautions and not make
casual assumptions about the learning capabilities of chicks, especially those not well‐studied.
Many ways to prevent imprinting issues are mentioned in this book. The first step is to make
a correct identification as early as possible.
Since identification is a process of comparison and elimination, it is essential to have a thor -
ough knowledge of the most common species that live and reproduce in your area. That way,
when an unusual bird arrives, it can be compared to eliminate common species and species that
do not live in the area. Diligent questioning of the finder is helpful for gleaning clues about the
chick’s species, such as type of nest and whether parents were seen. However, caregivers need
to discern whether a finder’s information is based on opinion or perception rather than on
knowledge and understanding. For example, a chick found on the ground below a colony of
mud nests may not be a Cliff Swallow, since other species such as House Sparrows occasionally
take over such nests.
The anatomic features of the chick from head to toe often can be used to identify a chick to the
level of species, but it takes skill and a keen eye. This chapter will present several tables in which
physical characteristics can be used to differentiate among taxonomic groups.