What Should I Do if I Find a Baby Bird?

What Should I Do if I Find a Baby Bird?

by Dr Amy Howe, Veterinarian

It is that time of the year when babies born in the springtime are maturing, and in the bird world that means learning to fly!

Baby birds will stay in the nest as ‘nestlings’ as they learn to perch, gain strength, and develop flight feathers. They then become ‘branchlings’, where they may explore and continue to gain strength in the safety of tree branches. After this they are then ‘fledglings’, where they are learning to fly, but not particularly good at it!

It is this fledgling stage where you may see more baby birds on the ground, as they have started to leave the nest. Noisy Miner birds (light grey body with a yellow beak) are a common native species where fledgling chicks are often seen on the ground as they start to take flight from the nest. At this stage, the parents are usually closely watching from nearby and coming back and forward to feed the chick as needed.

This is a normal part of a bird’s growth stage, and often our well-meaning intervention can be detrimental to their safety and development with their family.

If you see a baby bird on the ground, unless it is in immediate danger from a pet or traffic, or if it is obviously injured – STOP – do not touch it and follow the steps below:

• If the bird is in immediate danger:
  • Place the baby into a small open box or container with soft bedding and drainage holes
  • Place back into a nearby tree or bush and call Sydney Wildlife for further instructions
• Wait for 30 mins to 1 hour and watch for the parents:
  • If they return during this time, they will be feeding the baby and watching them
  • No further intervention is required, the baby should fledge
• If the parents do not return:
  • Place baby into a small open box or container with soft bedding and drainage holes and place into a nearby tree or bush
  • Call Sydney Wildlife for further instructions

It is important that fledgings remain in their parents’ care for this period so that they can learn how to survive in the wild. If separated at this critical stage and placed into care, it is very difficult to release them again, because they have not had a chance to learn the critical survival skills that they need to thrive.