LOL Birdlady...too bad we aren't closer together....I've got cages just for that purpose!  Sounds like they are doing super!  I bet Lily won't cry when they leave.

Hello feathers.  Haven't they grown.  I did have to buy a cage. They kept flying over to Lily's cage and going inside to sit on her perches.  She was not impressed.  I got a little worried though because sometimes when I would feed them the hamberger they would keep spitting it out.  This morning I put their cage on the sill of the balcony door and watched them.  Wouldn't you know it they were eatting the seeds I put out for them on the sill, and also after they ate they  went  into their own cage.  Lily was happy about that.  I did as you said about putting them on the balcony and within a hour though I had at least 6 other birds of their kind on the cage and railing.  I thought it might scare the babies so I brought them in.  Sarah my youngest is so impressed by the babies she has named them tweety and tweesie.  She also has this shirt with a pocket that streches across the front of her body.  She carries them inside the pocket.  They love it. lol

Awwww, how cute they are.  I am not a rehabber but I'd think the wildones coming in to visit them would give them a much better chance of having a group to live with if you plan to release them.  One problem with wild ones coming around now is the parasites that could get on the babies.

I tried to rehab a baby crow once and got lice on ME.  Yuk, thought I'd never get rid of them.  Itched for days.  Annie

Update.  I don't understand what happened with the raw hamberger situation but I was beginning to get a little worried.  I went to the pet store and got them some meal worms and did they work like a charm.  Talk about eat.  You'd thing they hadn't eaten in a week.  Everyday I notice a little bit more of growing up with them.  Now they pick up the food on the tray I'v put out for them.  I have no idea when I should try to release them though.  They seem quite able to feed and bath and drink on their own.  The funny thing is they have gotten to know me so well that all I have to do is call them and they come.  They even reconize the whistle that I have.  I want to let them go because they are wild birds and I think it wouldn't be fair to keep them.  I just don't want to make that mistake because of them being so use to the habits that they now have with being with our family.  What do I do?  If it did come down to having to keep them there's no problem with that.  My husband thinks that I'll now take in any stray and is afraid what he will find when he gets home. lol

Feathers can tell you how to set up the cage outdoors so they can watch the wild birds catching their own food, etc.  I hope she comes back here soon to advise you.  I haven't seen her around in a couple of days.

Annie

Good news eeryone. Their free I truly sad to see the darlings go but I know it was the right thing to do.  When I first did I was so afraid that they wouldn't survive but now that they have been on their own for the last two days I know that their okay.  They have been hanging around in the trees in front of the building and I keep the cage on the balcony just in case they wish to come back.  But you know, I think that it's not going to happen.  After I let them go I watched them for the first day and noticed that they paired up with some of the own kind.  I do go and see them in the trees and they respond to my voice but don't come to see me, which told me they are happy with what their doing.  I'm so happy for them.

That is wonderful news.  So glad you were able to do such a good job with those babies. I bet is so exciting to see them in the trees where they belong.  Congrats on job well done.

Annie

 Cool beans!  You did just the right thing...yep...once they mix in with their own, they learn REAL fast on how to survive.  The other wildlings will reinforce what they already know.  The last crew I let leave...had one return to the cage daily for a month before she finally decided it was okay to go.  I still see them flitting around with the others.  It doesn't hurt to interact with the wild birds...I feed many wildlings from my hand ...it doesn't change their attitude in general about people.  They know they are wild, but can get a goodie from the nice chubby lady who sits so patiently under the tree with her arm extended upward and outward until the cramps set in.  lol  Congrats on being a successful rehabber!  That pic of the babies is something to treasure.

That was so nice of you to take in those 2 babies!  I work with our local nature center & rehabbers in assisting raising "found" babies & releasing them.  The only thing I would recommend different(if there is a next time ) is to feed them dog food, moistened til soft..mix it with applesauce & baby cereal(a small amt).  This gives them more protein,calcium, & a bit of natural sugar for energy that they need for strong bones later in life.

 Jackie Collins has a great site on the care of Starlings & other wild birds (a search will find it for you), she's rehabbed thousands of birds over the years.

 Again, thank you for helping those babies...not everyone would do that.

 Azarae D.

 "A rescued starling will fly its way right into your heart"