Found A Baby Bird? Here's What To Do.

Updated Feb. 28, 2024. In spring and summer, people sometimes find baby birds that are outside of their nest. While some of them may be orphaned and really need our help, this is not always the case.

In this article, we want to discuss how to tell if a baby bird needs intervention and how we can care for baby birds in a responsible way.

You can still see some downy feathers on this fledgling Robin. Photo by Salty

Does the Baby Bird Actually Need Your Help?

This is the question you have to answer first. Not every baby bird needs your help, even if it looks like he is in danger.

Is it a nestling or fledgling?

There are several reasons why young birds can be found outside their nest. While nestlings have no chance to survive when they have fallen out of the nest, it is the natural way for fledglings. Here is the difference between them:

These baby Robins are nestlings. Still very dependent on the parents. Photo by Calliopejen

• Nestlings may be naked or have fluffy down feathers. Their eyes are closed, and can not move. It is quite obvious that this little bird belongs in his nest, where the parents can take care of them. Think of nestlings as infants.

• Fledglings have feathers and are about the size of an adult. However, they still may have soft downy feathers. Fledglings are still cared for by their parents. Apart from that they will hop around and try to fly. They are gaining independence skills. Think of fledglings as Kindergarteners.

Fledglings have outgrown the nest and will jump out of it when you set them back. Usually, they will not need your help, as the parents are around.

Is the bird injured or ill?

When the bird is injured or ill you will need to call a rehabilitator immediately. Look for blood and wet, ruffled or matted feathers to determine its health condition. Legs that are weak and do not seem to bear their weight or drooping wings are signs that the bird needs help. 

The same counts for shivering and when the bird is cold.

This fledgling thrush has ticks on face and flies on the body. This may warrent a call to a wildlife rehabilitator to get their advice. Photo by Jim Champion

Is the bird in danger?

Sometimes the baby bird is just in a situation where he is at risk due to external circumstances. Most often this includes predators like cats and dogs which have an interest in the young bird. 

Predators may cause the parents to stay away and stop feeding the fledgling. The best thing you can do in these situations is to keep cats and dogs away as long as necessary. Sometimes it takes several days.

Your domestic cat is not “nature’s way”. They are an invasive species in the ecosystem. Cats do enjoy being outdoors so take them for walks on a leash (yes, it’s possible) or build them a catio.

What to Do When you Find a Nestling?

The first thing you should do when you find a nestling is search for his nest. Often it can be found in a tree nearby. When you find the nest just put the little bird back. 

You do not need to be afraid of touching him. Birds have a very poor sense of smell and it’s a myth that the parents will not feed him anymore after you have touched him.

In some cases, you will find the whole nest on the ground if it is blown out of the tree by the wind. You can just put it back as high as you can. 

When the nest is destroyed or you can not reach it, you have to build a surrogate. You can use a card box and some nesting material. You can use torn up toilet paper, dried grass, or the original nest material to build a cozy place. Materials such as fresh leaves and grass are too cold and can cause illness. Also, make sure that the nest is permeable to water, otherwise, the nestlings will drown when the next rain comes.

To make sure the young birds are not orphaned, stay away from the nest but watch closely. The parents should appear within an hour or two and start to feed their babies again.

If the parents do not come, call a rehabilitator (see below).

Are You Allowed to Care for a Baby Bird?

You should help a baby bird when it is in danger. But does it really need your care? Often well-intended people do more harm than good when caring for wild baby birds.

That is why you should follow the law under all circumstances. In the United States, birds are federally regulated by the US Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects all migratory birds. The document makes it clear: it is illegal to keep and raise wild birds, violations are punishable and can lead to fairly high fines.

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Licensed Rehabilitators are the Right Go-To Persons

As mentioned above there are possibilities to help the bird you have found. Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators are educated especially for situations where the health of wild animals is at risk, including baby birds. It is always a good choice to ask them for advice. The rehabber will tell you if the bird needs help and what you should do.

Often that includes bringing the bird to their center. Most rehabbers will not pick the animal up at the place where you found it. Usually, they have a variety of animals to care for and their time simply does not allow them to make this journey.

Your state has two agencies. The Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources. It varies which one but one of them will have a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators in your state.

To find a rehabilitator anywhere in the USA, Animal Help Now, provides an up-to-date database of licensed wildlife rehabilitators. organized by zip codes. You can use the desktop version or download the app for mobile phones.

Most wildlife rehabilitators are volunteers. You can check their hours if they have a website or call and leave a message. It is always a good idea to get to know your local rehabbers and which animals they treat BEFORE an emergency occurs.

How Should you Transport the Baby Bird to a Rehabilitator?

As mentioned earlier, in most cases you will have to bring the baby bird to a rehabilitator by yourself. When needed, don’t wait and do this as soon as possible. Even an hour can decrease the chances for the bird to survive significantly.

For the young bird the whole situation is stressful enough, so try to make the transport as comfortable as possible. You can use a card box and build a nest of dried grass in it. Make it tight and cozy, but the head should always be over the nesting material. Take a towel or cap to make it dark, that will help the little bird to relax. Apart from that, it protects the animal from cold drafts.

The optimal temperature for baby birds is between 85 and 90 degrees, so do not turn the air-conditioning on and keep the box away from direct sun. Make sure the environment is calm, so turn the radio off and leave your kids at home.

You can place a hot water bottle near but not on the baby bird. Secure it so it doesn’t crush the bird.

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Should I feed the Baby Bird?

The short answer to this is just no. The demands for food vary from species to species and also from nestlings to fledglings. Worms, bugs, and other insects might be good for one species but can cause serious trouble for another species. Even bird food is often not the right choice. The rehabilitator will know exactly what to feed, so let them do their job.

Guest Author, Christian Steinmeier writes about a variety of pet and animal-related topics. He takes care of several species like dogs, fish, and different small pets and loves to learn more about them every day.

Updates by Ame Vanorio, Feburary 2024. Ame is the founder of Fox Run EEC, a wildlife rehabilitator, and an environmental educator.