The good news is you have it eating - we would have recommended tons of worms, bugs, and Gerber baby food rice.
The bad new - you are now mom and dad - and this may not work out well for your bird because goldfinches are migratory. No matter how much this birdie gets to like you - it is gonna leave. Your best bet - is to seek out someone who is a local bird rescue expert and get it together with others of it's own kind.
Young birds often leave the nest early...before they can fly well. It's a safety thing for them. Leave them alone. The parents will still be around taking care of them Your good intentions are more likely to kill it than help. It's illegal to take in wildlife. Get it to a rehab that knows how to care for it so it can return to nature.
A lot of what a bird does is ingrained into it from birth. They don't learn to fly, for example, by watching their parents: They just start hopping and flapping their wings one day, and they're off! You probably don't have to be too worried about it.
To be honest, keep it. When the bird is older it will think its a human. It will become your own little parrot like finch
You should contact other owners of that bird species and animal doctors online for advice
I found a baby Goldfinch down by our pond. It is not old enough to be out of it's nest...it barely has all of it's feathers. We could not find the nest, nor did we hear a mama finch in the area. I took the poor little guy home. If I would've left him there on the ground, he surely would have been killed.
I have already researched what to feed it and how and he is eating very well and is active. I made him a makeshift nest and I keep a heating lamp near it to keep him warm. I have the nest in a decently sized cage with grass on the bottom and perches for when he is ready to lave his nest.
What I am concerned with is how to eventually release this baby back into the wild. Because he has no mama finch to teach him the ropes on finding his own food and shelter.....how will he survive? Is there anything that I can do to ensure that he has the best chance of survival once he is ready to be released? I read on a few sights that once he is hopping out of his nest I should place food on the ground and let him find it on his own. Is that all I need to do?
Please do not just flood the answers with, "take it to a wild life center." I have nursed many, many baby animals back to health(we live in the country and I often find young animals in need during this time of year) and I'm determined to get this little guy raised up to a healthy releasable adult. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Thank you.
