I found a male lesser goldfinch huddled against the railroad tracks while on a walk today. There was nothing obviously wrong with it except that it was there on the ground and not fleeing. I brought it to a wildlife rescue place and they said I could call tomorrow to see how it was doing. It's funny. They just assume you're gonna be kinda attached to the animal you brought in.
Here's a picture of one because they are cute and so very tiny.
![](https://download.ams.birds.cornell.edu/api/v1/asset/24950991)
I do second guess myself every time I try helping an animal, though, cause I don't want to disturb a peaceful death or stress it out and cause it to fair worse. ):
Tose the Handsome Anime Boy, February 19, 2017, 01:19:45 am
Nah, you did the right thing. If you hadn't helped, it probably would have gotten picked off by whatever your local predators are (cats, raptors, etc.), not exactly a peaceful death. Age and time of year is important though; if it's a young bird in spring (hatch year birds can look surprisingly adult, depending on the species), it could just be learning to fly, in which case it's best to leave it alone.
I only get American Goldfinches where I live, no Lessers but oh man... they are top birbs. Watching a cluster of them burst out of a patch of goldenrod tweeting up a storm on a hot summer morning is