911 Advice for Wild Birds:
“I found a nest of orphaned baby birds. What do I do?”
Baby birds are never abandoned by their parents unless the parents are dead or in some
way unable to come back to the nest. If you find a nest of baby birds, this is what you can consider doing:
- From a distance monitor the nest and see if the parents are coming back to feed the babies.
- If the nest has fallen to the ground with the babies simply place the nest in a box, securing it as
high into the tree as possible. Continue to monitor the situation to see if the parents are coming back
to feed the babies. If you cannot place the nest in the tree, then pick a location that is predator-free
and in dappled sunlight where the parents can plainly see/hear the babies.
“I found a baby bird on the ground. What do I do?”
If the bird is uninjured, then try your best to renest the baby bird. If the situation does not
allow you to return the bird to its original nest and the area is unsafe for the baby, then follow
the stabilization protocol on the back of this sheet and call a wildlife rehabilitator and/or wildlife center.
“How often does the mother feed the babies?”
Birds are amazing parents. They feed their babies as often as necessary – from every fifteen minutes
to every hour, depending upon the age of the baby. It is not unusual to see both the mother and
the father help feed the babies. Birds feed their babies during the daylight hours and “roost” once the sun goes down.
“I have picked up the babies – won’t my scent keep the mother away?”
No – birds do not smell well and their main concern is feeding their babies. The human scent will
not bother bird parents.
“The mother has not returned to the nest – what do we do now?”
If you feel that the situation is life-threatening to the baby birds, then contact a wildlife
rehabilitator and/or wildlife center and follow the stabilization protocol located on the other side of this sheet.
“How do I know if the babies are old enough to survive on their own?”
Once a baby bird has “fledged”, it often falls out of the nest (trying to fly) and hops around
on the ground calling for its parents. The parents will continue to feed the baby and encourage
it to hip hop up into low-lying scrubs and bushes where it will stay safe and continue to grow.
Once the baby can fly, it will then follow its parents and continue to learn its survival skills. Again, if you ascertain that the situation is unsafe, then and only then should you intervene.
“My cat/dog just brought in a baby bird. What do I do now?”
Dogs crush and cats puncture. A wild bird that has been in the mouth of a cat is in great danger.
The saliva of a cat actually carries billions of particles of bacteria and enzymes that break down
the cellular structure of living tissue. Even if there appears to be no external wound, the sharp
pointed teeth of a cat could have easily punctured a vital internal organ. As quickly as is feasible
and possible, get the baby to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Do not attempt to care for an injured
bird yourself!! A bird that has been brought in by your dog is also in danger, but at least the saliva
of a dog is not fatal to a bird (or other mammals!). Please monitor your pets. Keep your cats indoors!!
Cats are the killers of million of species of wildlife each year – songbirds especially!
Please follow the instructions below IF:
- The babies cannot be renested
- The babies are in imminent life-threatening danger
- There is no sign of the mother (at least over 2-4 hours)
- The babies are injured
If any of the above stated situations fits your particular scenario, then contact a state
permitted wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. If the baby birds are determined to have been
abandoned and you need to transport them to a rehabilitator, please do the following:
- Use a small container such as a shoebox. Punch air holes in the lid.
- Line the shoebox with a clean soft cloth that you do not mind giving up.
- Place the babies inside the shoebox and put a rubber band around the box and lid, securing it for the ride.
- Babies must stay warm. Fill a clean tube sock with uncooked white rice and tie off towards the top of the
sock with a piece of string. Place the sock into a microwave and heat for 1-2 minutes. Place the sock inside the
shoebox and put a washcloth or other piece of clean cloth over the sock. You don’t want the sock to be so hot as
to burn the babies. The babies will crawl next to the warmth of the sock and stay there for the ride to the
rehabilitator. Another option is to put a wet washcloth (wrung out) into a ziplock baggie and microwave
until warm but not hot. This acts as a portable heating pad!
If it is going to be a length of time before you can get the babies to a rehabilitator, please do the following:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED THE BABIES – TO DO SO COULD CAUSE THEIR DEATH!
- Follow the instructions above as per the shoebox or other small container.
- If you have a heating pad, set it on low and place the pad on a non-conductive surface (your bathroom
counter or washing machine lid will do just fine).
- Place the container with the babies half-on and half-off the heating pad. This will allow the babies
to move away from the heat if they need to.
Wild birds require a specialized formula that is high in protein. A rehabilitator has been trained
to offer the formula appropriate for this species and knows the correct feeding schedule and protocol
of rehydration. You also run the risk of aspirating the baby by using an incorrect feeding utensil.
Baby birds are incredibly fragile and do not take handling by humans well. They will die of stress
if handled improperly. Keep baby birds away from children, household noise (such as vacuum cleaner
and so forth), domestic pets and bright light.
Wild birds do not make good pets. They are wild things and have wild instincts. They do not trust
humans and do not accept other domestic animals as companions. Please do not consider keeping these
incredible and fragile creatures as a pet – to keep a wild bird in a cage for the rest of its life
is to doom it to a life of sadness and broken spirit.
For further information on wildlife rehabilitation, please visit:
International Wildlife Rehabilitators Council
National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association
Lots of people talk to animals...Not very many listen, though...That's the problem. - The Tao of Pooh