Hi, I am new here and am not sure if this is the best place to post this, but I didn't want to start a new thread regarding the same bird.
So I have a Northern Cardinal question. I have a baby Cardinal in my backyard. I just found it yesterday. Its not a brand new baby, it can hop/fly about a foot or two, but he is on the ground and not up in a tree or nest. Its feathers are all out and fluffy, with the exception of its head, he's kind of baldheaded at the moment, with a tiny mohawk. Its parents are always right near it, and even though it didn't make anynoise when I first saw it, it did squak when I got too near to it. I am just afraid that a neighborhood cat might get to it b/c it can't fly too far or high. Cats sometimes tend to wander into my backyard and just the other day I found a dead mouse.
So, my question is this: does anyone know how long it takes for baby Northern Cardinals to learn how to fly? Should I intervene and try to place him up higher in a large bush or small tree, or will its parents help it up into a better spot? I dont want to mess with him incase it traumatizes him or his parents and they don't want to have anything to do with him anymore. I don't know anything about birds, so I am at a loss as what to do.
Any help or suggestions would be very very much appreciated. Thank you all for your time.
Ellen
