What
to Do if you Find a Baby Bird
- If the young
bird is hopping and running away from you, LEAVE
IT BE! His parents will find him. They are
probably nearby already. If he is in immediate
danger of becoming lunch for a cat or dog (ie.,
you see the cat or dog watching or chasing it)
then scoop him up and put him in a nearby bush or
shrub out of harm's way. Since most birds have no
significant sense of smell, moving a baby bird to
safety or returning it to it's nest will not
cause it's parents to abandon it,
- If you find a
baby bird with little or no feathers and you know
where the nest is, then return the bird to it's
nest.
- If the nest
has been destroyed, you can construct a makeshift
nest using a small basket or plastic container.
Line the container with material from the old
nest (if available) or dry grass or leaves. Wire
your nest to a branch about 5 or 6 feet off the
ground (out of reach of children or predators) or
place it securely in a branch fork near the old
nest (if it's still there). Put little holes in
the bottom of the container for proper drainage
or rainwater will collect and drown the birds.
- If the
baby/fledgling is cold to the touch, take him
inside to warm him before placing him back in the
nest. Nestle the baby bird in a warm towel which
has been heated (by itself) for about 2 minutes
in a microwave. Or fill a latex glove with hot
water and tie a knot in the end of it. Place a
thin towel between the bird and the water filled
glove. Put the bird in a dark warm place (you can
use a heating pad under it if you keep the
setting on LOW) where it is QUIET and away from
children or pets.
- Do NOT attempt
to feed food or water to the baby birds. It is
too easy to get it in their lungs if you are not
trained in the technique of feeding.
- If you can not
find the nest or the bird appears to be sick,
injured or need nutrition OR if if pet dog or cat
has brought you the baby in it's mouth with the
bird still alive, then call your nearest wildlife
or wild bird rehabber. If you live in the Nashville Tennessee area, you can call
Harmony
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at 615-799-8712 or you can call
Walden's
Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at 615-299-9938.
- If you get an
answering machine at any of these places, leave
your name, number and a SHORT description of the
bird and it's problem. Someone will call you
back. These organizations are run by a small
number of volunteers and they don't have time to
man the phones AND care for their birds. They
will call you back in a reasonable amount of
time. Just keep the bird contained and in a quiet
place until someone contacts you.
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