Does anyone know what kind of bird this is?

[Contrary1]

Sparrow, maybe? Found in my back yard over the weekend. He appears to be in pretty good shape, has a lot of bald/red areas under his throat and on his upper breast. The tail feathers are very short, not able to stay up in the air for more than a few feet.

He's eating like a champ. I believe his parents are still in the area, but there are so many cats around; I brought him in. Hopefully, his stay will be short.

[semillama]

1. couple questions:

what part of the country are you in?

What types of birds do you normally see around your house?

I can't tell you what it is off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure it's not a sparrow from the pattern of the feathers. I'll defer to Xemasab otherwise, fledglings aren't my bag.

[Contrary1]

2. I'm in Indiana.

This year it's been mainly sparrows and wrens. I have seen one woodpecker, and maybe a half dozen finches.

I guess it doesn't matter much what kind of bird he is. He's doing really well. When he first saw me this morning, he sang a little song. He wants to eat every hour or so during his waking hours. Since I don't work, it's not a problem.

Besides; I love a challenge. :)

[elleng]

3. So NICE that he sang you a song!

Was always a treat when our Cockatiel gave his morning greeting, like, 'Hi, wassup, coming to say hello?'

[XemaSab]

4. Thanks for the deference

but fledgelings aren't my bag either.

What do the parents look like?

Could he be a goldfinch?

[semillama]

5. *slaps forehead*

I didn't even consider finches. It's almost certainly an American Goldfinch.

Check out pictures of fledgling goldfinches here:

http://www.placeforwildbirds.org/gold.html