Cricket

Cricket was hatched in 2020 and was found in North Dakota. The people who found him observed the bird hopping around their apartment building for a while. Even after the North Dakota Fish & Game Department tried to rehab and release the bird, he wouldn’t return to the wild. He kept vocalizing and following people around, and eventually came to our facility.

Birds imprinted on humans cannot be released in the wild, so it’s important to use caution when interacting with any kind of young bird. If you ever find yourself in the wild with what looks like an abandoned baby bird, think of this acronym: Stop, Observe, Seek help (or SOS). The parents of these “abandoned” babies are usually close by, but if you find no sign of them, you should call a nature center, the DNR, or another facility specializing in working with wild animals.

Cricket got his name because crickets are common prey for American kestrels. This species is one of the raptors that you can identify the sex simply by looking at them. They exhibit sexual color dimorphism with male birds having blue/gray wings, a bronze colored back, and a solid rufous tail with a dark terminal band. Females are a more consistent light brown with a heavily barred rufous tail.