Bird Rescue
What You Should Know!

Finding a baby bird on the ground is a dilemma . . . what to do!, what to do! Should you pick it up and rescue it? Or leave it be? Here are some general guidelines to
decide if bird rescue is necessary:

• If the baby is feathered and hopping around the best course would be to leave it alone. Many birds leave their nest (fledge) before they can fly. Chances are good that the parents are nearby and watching over it. By interfering you may lessen it's chances for survival. Try to rein in your parental instinct and walk away a little distance and watch. You may see the parents
  rush to the baby and then you'll be assured everything is okay and "bird rescue" isn't necessary.
• If you find a featherless baby that has obviously fallen out of it's nest, the best thing to do is simply put it back. If you find a whole nest that has fallen from a tree try to replace the nest as near to
  it's original location as possible. It's very likely that the parents will return. Again, bird rescue won't be necessary.
• If you find it necessary to pick up a baby bird to replace it in the nest don't be concerned about human contact. The parent birds will not reject or attack the baby if you have touched it.
• If you find a baby bird that is obviously injured or you can't replace it in the nest for some reason, this is what to do. Initial bird rescue: First, put it in a dark, secure box or paper bag lined with soft tissue. Provide ventilation. The darkness will calm the bird and help relieve its stress. Keep children and pets away. Do not attempt to give it food or water as that can do irreparable harm or cause death.

  Second stage bird rescue: Contact your local wildlife rehabilitator for emergency treatment. Visit bird rescue for some help finding a rehabilitator in your area. It is against the law to keep native wildlife even if it is injured. Wildlife rehabilitators are trained and licensed to care for our native birds and animals.

• If you cannot locate a rehabilitator contact your local veterinarian. At the very least they should provide someone that will be of help, or they may care for the bird themselves. Do not keep the baby bird. It is against the law to keep native wildlife in captivity. If the bird is injured it will need professional help.

The same guideline is true if you find an injured adult bird. In some cases, an adult might look injured or dead, but is actually just stunned or perhaps unconscious. This is common for birds that hit windows, but not hard enough to be killed. If you find such a bird, and it is breathing without difficulty, place it in a dark box as described above. Give it time to recover on its own and then release it. If the bird has recovered it will fly away when uncovered, so be sure you take the box outside before you release it. Release the bird in a quiet place away from pets and children. If the bird has obviously been injured call your local wildlife rehabilitator as described above.

Our Invitation To You! Are you a birdwatching enthusiast? The mission of our website is to share our love of birds and the natural world that exists in our backyards. We'd love to have you join us and extend an enthuisastic invitation to visit the rest of our website and become a member of David's Wild Bird Club (see below).