On May 29, a nest with three baby finches was discovered hidden
in the tail light of a 5-ton U.S. Army truck. Being too young to
join the military, the little birds were transported from the Army
base in San Luis Obispo to Gilroy. The rescuer then deployed the
birds to WERC, the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center
(aka: M*A*S*H, the Mammal*Avian*Snake*Hospital) in Morgan Hill, so
that they could grow up to
”
be all they can be
”
– healthy and wild.
On May 29, a nest with three baby finches was discovered hidden in the tail light of a 5-ton U.S. Army truck. Being too young to join the military, the little birds were transported from the Army base in San Luis Obispo to Gilroy. The rescuer then deployed the birds to WERC, the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (aka: M*A*S*H, the Mammal*Avian*Snake*Hospital) in Morgan Hill, so that they could grow up to “be all they can be” – healthy and wild.
During their basic training at WERC, the finches were hand-fed special protein-rich rations every half hour, from sunup to sundown. When they became mature enough to eat seeds and fruit on their own, they were relocated to a flight enclosure for exercise and outdoor acclimation – a sort of avian boot camp.
The scientific name of house finches is apt: Carpodacus (a Greek word meaning “fruit-eater”) mexicanus (the species originated from Mexico). Females are khaki-colored – a plain gray-brown that provides excellent ground camouflage. Males typically have red feathers on their head, breast and flanks, but their coloring can range from bright red to orange to yellow, depending on their diet, not on the national security level.
House finches are a gardener’s best friend, voraciously eating seeds from dandelions, thus defending the lawn against intruding weeds. To recruit a “development” (the term for a flock of house finches) of finches to your yard, keep a birdfeeder filled with seeds. The little birds will keep you and the “troops” (your kids) entertained with their cheerful warbling and sociable antics. The feeder should be kept scrupulously clean, as finches are highly susceptible to diseases such as conjunctivitis.
Contrary to their name, house finches rarely make use of bird houses, preferring to build their nests on ledges, atop street lamps, in hanging flower baskets, under awnings, inside garages and barns, and apparently, on vehicles – which the parents of these finches found suitable as a “mobile” home. House finches will also commandeer the nests of other birds.
Three days after this year’s Fourth of July festivities, the finches were granted their own independence day, taking their initial flight into the wild blue skies: The three Army brats have joined the Air Force!
