Baby Bird Care: What to Do If You Find a Baby Bird in Need

There’s nothing that will stop you in your tracks quite like the pitiful sight of a baby bird on the ground. Wanting to help is a powerful instinct. But there are times when our good intentions can end up doing more harm than good.

So, what should you do if you find a baby bird that might be in need?

How Old Is the Baby Bird?

Knowing what stage of development the baby bird has reached is vital. It’s also important to check and see if the baby bird is injured. Blood or signs of injury require immediate help from a veterinarian or professional wildlife rehabber.

But simply finding a juvenile bird on the ground isn’t automatically a cause for concern. Young birds go through different stages. It’s crucial to understand at what point in its development this one may be before attempting to “save” it. It may not even need any help.

A hatchling has recently broken free of its egg and is new to the world. You can identify a hatchling by its lack of feathers, pink skin, and perhaps some fluffy white or gray down on its head, along with closed eyes.

A nestling is slightly more developed, with “pin feathers” in some places and regular ones in others. A nestling is 3 to 13 days old.

A fledgling, by contrast, will have more fully formed feathers. It will be hopping around on the ground or even attempting to fly. Fledglings are around two weeks old.

A hatchling or nestling found on the ground may have landed there due to a gust of wind. But a fledgling in that situation may have jumped from the nest or been pushed out. If you see a fledgling on the ground trying to fly, watch over it to make sure a cat or another predator doesn’t grab it. Once it makes it to a bush or branch, its natural flying skills will soon kick in.

When the Bird Requires Help

Hatchlings and nestlings are another story. They won’t survive out of their nests and need to be returned if possible. If they can’t, you can put them into a nest that you make for them.

If the baby bird you’ve found is too young to be on its own, here’s what to do. First, try to locate the nest it fell out of. If it’s close by, and you can reach it, there’s nothing wrong with putting the displaced little occupant back where it belongs.

Contrary to what you’ve probably heard, the parents will not stop caring for the baby bird if you return it to its nest. Birds won’t be able to smell when humans have handled their offspring. But wearing clean gloves is always a good idea before picking up a baby bird.

Designing a Makeshift Nest

When a nest is inaccessible, or you can’t locate it after scouting the immediate area, there are a couple of things you can do.

First, you can put together a substitute one yourself. The best nest is one that provides shelter and can be secured to a branch in the same tree the original nest was in. A small woven basket filled with grass, pine needles, or other soft materials will work.

A small container can also work as a makeshift nest. If it’s made from plastic, poke holes in the bottom so water will drain out.

Just be sure that whatever you use as a replacement nest, the baby bird is placed near the top, and the new nest is securely affixed to a tree branch.

Then, keep your eye on the area from a distance to see if the mother bird returns. That should happen within a reasonable time, about an hour. What you’re hoping is that the mom will observe the baby and start feeding it in its new nest. If successful, you will see her go back and forth between her nest and the one you’ve crafted. She’ll continue to care for the baby as well as the rest of the brood.

But if she doesn’t, that’s when additional help is needed. 

What if a Baby Bird Is Injured or Abandoned

If the baby bird you’ve found appears to be injured or there is no sign of it being attended to in its nest within an hour, that’s when you need to take it under your wing.

If the state or county you live in maintains a directory of licensed wildlife rehabbers, that’s a good place to start. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends you do a web search for “wildlife rehabilitators near me.” The Humane Society of the United States is another online resource you can use.

Once you’ve found a rehabilitation facility in your area and arranged to deliver the baby bird, you should fashion a comfortable and secure container. A shoebox with a lining of soft cloth or some paper towels should do nicely. You can use a hot water bottle or heating pad preheated at its lowest setting placed underneath the lining. And don’t provide food or water; leave that to the professionals. It’s not easy to properly feed a baby bird, and doing so incorrectly can cause it to aspirate food into its lungs, which can prove fatal.

When a Bird’s Nest Is in a Tricky Location

Sometimes, mother birds don’t make the best choices when it comes to where to build a nest. When a nest is in a particularly bad spot, say in a basket on the door to your house, it can be quite inconvenient.

While you can’t relocate a nest, know that from hatching to fledging isn’t that long a time. Most small songbirds fledge in around 10 to 14 days. To keep the mom in good shape during that period, you can set out a tray of high-energy foods nearby. These can include sunflower seeds or oats mixed into peanut butter.

And when your little birds are about to strike out on their own, here’s something else you can do. Place a soft cushion on the ground beneath the nest to help avoid any hard falls and possible injuries. Learning to fly has its ups and downs!