What to do if you find a baby bird
Dear Riley,
I heard that you’re not supposed to pick up a baby bird and put it back in its nest because the mom won’t take care of it anymore. Is that true? What do I do if I see a baby bird that needs help?
Sincerely, Tyler
Hi Tyler!
My name is Albert the owl and I am going to be helping Riley answer some of the wildlife questions. Thank you for caring about animals and wanting to help baby birds! The good news is that touching a baby bird won’t make its mom stop taking care of it. However, if you do see a baby bird that’s not in its nest, you should make sure it doesn’t need any help from a wildlife rehabilitator like the ones working here at PAWS. Check and see if the baby bird looks hurt or sick before you decide what to do next. For example, is the bird bleeding, shivering, lethargic, or can you tell it’s been attacked by a cat or dog? If the bird does look hurt or sick, you’ll want to call a licensed rehabilitation center like PAWS.
If the baby bird does not look sick or hurt, you can decide what to do next depending on how old the bird is. If the bird doesn’t have any feathers and you can see the nest, feel free to put the bird back inside – but it’s a good idea to wear gloves when you do. If you can’t find a nest or the nest is broken, you can make a replacement nest to keep the bird in nearby. Either way, watch from a safe distance and see if the parents visit the nest with the baby bird. If they do, that’s great! You’re okay to leave the birds alone. If not, you can call a licensed rehabilitation center like PAWS to figure out the next step.
If the baby bird does have feathers and is hopping around on the ground, keep any pets away from the bird and watch from a distance to see if there are parents nearby. If they are, the baby bird is okay and you can leave it alone. If not, call a licensed rehabilitation center like PAWS and they can help you figure out what to do next.
If you need more help, check out this chart or call a licensed rehabilitator!
Thanks for being a champion for animals, Albert
