If
You Find a Baby Bird...
Step #1: Prevention
The best baby bird rehabilitation is prevention. Educate your
friends, family, neighbors, and yourselves about the fledgling
process. It is normal for birds at fledgling to be on the ground
unable to fly. Birds need several days up to four weeks, depending
on their species, to learn how to fly around and forage for food.
One or more parent will feed them during this period. To avoid
predation, know where nesting sites are located and keep cats and dogs
indoors around the time you think the birds will fledge. The same
goes for children who, through natural curiosity, can harm the
birds. Ask neighbors to take responsibility for their pets and
children as well.
Step #2:
Return Uninjured Birds to the Nest
Any fully feathered baby bird found on the ground, seemingly
unable to fly, is probably just fledging. If it appears to be
uninjured, leave the area, and do your best to keep pets and children
away from the bird. The parent(s) will not feed the youngster when
people are around.
An uninjured bird found on the ground with
little or no feathers needs to be returned to the nest. Look
around in trees and bushes to see if you can locate the nest.
Correct identification of the nestling or of the parents will help
locate the nest (i.e. bluebirds are box or cavity nesters, morning doves
build basket nests on horizontal branches or in a tree fork). If
you locate the nest, simply put the bird back.
If the nest is unreachable, construct a
substitute nest of similar size and shape (margarine tubs with drain
holes punched in the bottom and filled with grass make fine substitute
nests) and securely attach it as close as possible to the original nest
site. The parents will not be frightened off by your
"scent" and will return to feed the baby if it calls for
food. If you want to be sure the parent(s) will continue to feed
the baby, watch the baby from a safe distance, preferably indoors.
Do not be alarmed if you don't see the female return. Typically
the male parent will continue to feed the youngsters if the female
parent leaves to start another brood.
If you can't find the nest, construct a
substitute nest in the place where the nestling was found. Watch
from indoors to see if a parent returns (be patient, it may not happen
immediately). If the nest is not visited by a parent for more than
half a day, contact a licensed rehabilitator.
Step
#3: For Injured Birds
Any bird that has broken bones, bleeding, deformity, cat bites, or other
puncture wounds, maggots or warbles, tilting head, or large bubbles
under the skin needs to be taken to your nearest wildlife veterinarian
or wildlife hospital for diagnosis and treatment. Never
attempt to treat or raise a baby bird on your own. Despite your
best efforts, most hand-raised birds will die.
