What to do if you find a baby bird

Blue Cross hospitals often take calls about fledgling birds from worried animal lovers who have found them in their gardens. But it’s perfectly normal to see baby birds sitting or hopping about and they’re usually best left where they are…

What are fledglings? 

Fledglings are young birds who are almost fully feathered and can walk, run and hop but aren’t able to fly yet.

Their parents usually aren’t too far away and are probably collecting food, but they won’t return until you’ve left.

It only takes a couple of days before they’re ready to fly. 

What should you do if you find one?

Fledglings are much better off left where they are and it’s more than likely that their parents are nearby, waiting for you to leave so that they can return to their young. 

Removing a fledgling from the wild dramatically reduces its chances of surviving.

Should you touch a fledgling?

Only move one if you absolutely have to, for example if it’s in immediate danger from a prowling cat.

If so, relocate it a short distance away to a safer place, out of the reach of predators, and within hearing distance of where you found it.

If the bird doesn’t have any feathers yet, it may have fallen out of a nearby nest, so if you can find it, you could try to gently put it back in. 

What should you do if you find an injured fledgling?

You should only remove a fledgling from where you found it if you absolutely have to. 

This could be because they’re badly injured or have definitely been abandoned, but give the parents a couple of hours to return first as they are much better placed to help the bird.

Make sure you monitor the situation from a distance because the closer you are, the less likely they are to return to their young.

An orphaned fledgling has a very slim chance of surviving so, in these extreme cases, take them to your local vet ASAP.