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Care of Wild Baby Birds - Part 1

by Susan Nelson Hopkins

Good for you! It's obvious that you are a caring individual... you're looking for information to care for a helpless creature.

Just how helpless is that baby bird?

If it has a strong grip, your foundling is probably a fledgling, or an exuberant fledgling "wanna-be", and is under the watchful eye and care of its parents.

You can be sure that the parents are close by... in fact, you can probably hear them scolding you. But, being the caring person that you are, you want to protect your little foundling from the neighborhood cat, your own kids, your big feet. Your mind is flooded with all the dangers in your garden.

It's OK... you can still help this little one without interfering with its parents or the "natural order of things". Try any of these...

• Get it off the ground... place it in a shrub
• If you know where the nest is, try to put it back in.
• If you cannot find the nest, or can't reach it...
  • Place some grass clippings in a clean berry basket (the kind with holes or netting... so it can drain well)
  • Gently put the foundling in the container
  • Attach the container to a branch in the nesting tree

By the way... birds have little sense of smell, so any scent you leave on the baby bird will have no effect on its parents accepting it.

If, after a couple of hours, you are sure no birds have visited the surrogate nest, you have some choices.

1. You can trust the "natural order of things"... The parents will eventually find their little one and continue raising it. But if they don't, not every baby bird in the wild survives. This isn't cruel, it's just the way it is. However, if this isn't acceptable to you - or to your kids - consider the next choices.
2. You can contact a local wild bird rehabilitator... And this may be your only alternative because of laws prohibiting unlicensed individuals caring for wild birds in your area. If you don't know who to call, visit How To Locate A Wildlife Rehabilitator . Find someone on the list in your area and contact them for help.
3. You can try to care for the baby bird yourself... You should attempt this only after finding out if it is legal for you to do so. A local veterinarian or game warden or conservation department can advise you. If it's legally allowable for you to do so (or you cannot locate a licensed rehabilitator), go to Care of Wild Baby Birds - Part 2 for some tips.

Acknowledgements:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm

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