Page 749 - Hand rearing birds second

House Finches, Goldfinches, and House Sparrows 751

Figure 48.4 Laundry basket housing: screening over holes (attached with hot glue), perches, greenery,
diverse food offerings. Full-spectrum lighting over the basket, and visual barriers to block views of people.

Baskets should have normal daylight‐level illumination, preferably with a full‐spectrum lighting
fixture. Fledglings will be more difficult to wean if lighting levels are too dim. Block birds’ view of
human activities; cheesecloth or white sheet is a good choice for visual barrier. Birds require
8–10 hours of sleep nightly and will continue begging until the lights are turned out for the even-
ing. Cleaning and other maintenance that requires light for human activity should take this need
for darkness into account. If lights are left on while tasks are finished, birds will continue to be
active and will go to bed hungry. Similarly, in the mornings, prepare food and keep the nursery
area as dark as possible until ready to begin feedings.
As birds begin to leave the nest and explore their environment, add perching materials, such as
wild collected sticks and trimmings cut to fit braced between opposite walls of the basket. A diver-
sity of perch sizes with irregular surfaces helps prevent foot lesions. When perches become soiled,
clean and soak in bleach (allow to dry before returning to bird enclosure) or discard and replace.
Adding natural food items, including dandelion heads or green tips of small branches of unsprayed
lilac, honeysuckle, or forsythia with buds, will help chicks learn to recognize the food they will
encounter in the wild. Do not overfill baskets with natural vegetation, because birds will need easy
access to food when weaning begins. Once birds no longer return to the nest, discontinue the sup-
plemental heat. Keep perches placed close to the ground, because these species tend to perch on
the highest spot available. Perches near the floor put fledglings in close proximity to food dishes.
House Sparrows may spend a lot of time hiding, as is to be expected from a cavity‐nesting species.
This can complicate ensuring that every chick gets enough to eat, because one chick may