{"id":2362,"date":"2013-06-11T08:22:48","date_gmt":"2013-06-11T12:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=2362"},"modified":"2014-05-13T10:58:34","modified_gmt":"2014-05-13T14:58:34","slug":"what-to-do-if-you-find-a-baby-bird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/what-to-do-if-you-find-a-baby-bird\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Do if You Find a Baby Bird"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a title=\"Baby Robin by b0jangles, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/b0jangles\/3642396299\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" title=\"Baby Robin via flickr\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3393\/3642396299_03c55fc2e8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" \/><\/a>If there\u2019s one question people ask us the most this time of year, it\u2019s some variation of \u201cI found a baby bird\u2014what should I do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And we get it. When you come across a helpless-looking baby bird out of its nest, it&#8217;s hard to resist the overpowering urge to come to the rescue. But if you really want to do your part, it\u2019s usually best to leave it be. How do you know when to take action and when not to? For that, you need to know the growth stages that many baby birds pass through.<\/p>\n<p><b>The Stages<br \/>\n<\/b>This time of year, a baby bird falls into one of three categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Hatchling.<\/b> It hasn\u2019t yet opened its eyes, and may have wisps of down on its body. It\u2019s definitely not ready to leave the nest.<\/li>\n<li><b>Nestling.<\/b> It\u2019s older than a hatchling. Its eyes are open, and its wing feathers may look like tubes because they\u2019ve yet to break through their protective sheaths. Nestlings are also not ready to leave the nest.<\/li>\n<li><b>Fledgling.<\/b> Young bird that is fully feathered. Its wings and tail may be short, and it may not be a great flyer, but it can walk, hop, or flutter. It has left the nest, though its parents may be nearby.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Helping Hatchlings and Nestlings<br \/>\n<\/b>If you find a hatchling or a nestling on the ground and you can see its nest, you should try to safely return it. Contrary to popular belief, the parents will not abandon a young bird that smells like people. If there\u2019s no nest, you can make one by fastening a wicker basket to a branch.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s never a good idea to bring a baby bird home and try to raise it. In fact, federal law prohibits anyone from having wild birds in their possession. Law aside, a baby bird, cared for by untrained people, once released, most likely won\u2019t survive as well in the wild. It has missed key lessons from its avian family, like how to locate food and avoid predators.<\/p>\n<p><b>Giving Fledglings Room to Grow<br \/>\n<\/b>For fledgling encounters, the best course of action is to leave it be. There\u2019s only one exception: if it\u2019s obviously injured.<\/p>\n<p>As awkward as a fledgling bird may look, this is natural stage, and the parents are most likely nearby, hunting for food and keeping watch. If the bird\u2019s in immediate danger, you can put it in a nearby bush or tree.<\/p>\n<p>When in doubt, contact a <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mass.gov\/eea\/agencies\/dfg\/dfw\/fish-wildlife-plants\/wildlife-rehabilitation.html\" target=\"_blank\">licensed wildlife rehabilitator<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>Photo via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/b0jangles\/3642396299\/\" target=\"_blank\">b0jangles\/flickr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If there\u2019s one question people ask us the most this time of year, it\u2019s some variation of \u201cI found a baby bird\u2014what should I do?\u201d And we get it. When you come across a helpless-looking baby bird out of its nest, it&#8217;s hard to resist the overpowering urge to come to the rescue. But if [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[124,28,125],"class_list":["post-2362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes","tag-baby-birds","tag-birds","tag-faq"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-C6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3575,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/baby-bird-season-101\/","url_meta":{"origin":2362,"position":0},"title":"Baby Bird Season 101","author":"Hillary T.","date":"May 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In our latest post for Boston Mamas, we tackle the question: What to do if you find a baby bird? Now is the time of year that migratory breeding birds have returned from the south to nest, and each bird has a unique nesting technique. For example, robins fill their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nature Notes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/05\/wendybarrett_massaudubon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/05\/wendybarrett_massaudubon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/05\/wendybarrett_massaudubon.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12762,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-baby-food\/","url_meta":{"origin":2362,"position":1},"title":"Take 5: Baby Food","author":"Ryan D.","date":"June 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Brace yourself for a serious cuteness overload. It's baby bird season in Massachusetts! Baby birds can be a lot of fun to watch (from a distance) as they hatch, grow, and eventually fledge. It's true that young birds face naturally tough odds for survival, but that's nature's way of maintaining\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Take 5&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Goldfinches \u00a9 Roberto De Souza","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/3834Roberto_DeSouza15172.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/3834Roberto_DeSouza15172.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/3834Roberto_DeSouza15172.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/3834Roberto_DeSouza15172.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7152,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/its-time-to-nest\/","url_meta":{"origin":2362,"position":2},"title":"It&#8217;s Time to Nest","author":"Rosemary","date":"March 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Provide a home for birds, learn about their nests, and make your own nest cozier\u00a0with these picks from the Audubon Shop. Find a selection of items in our\u00a0online shop or visit us in person at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln, MA. Also, don't miss our in-store only events: Spring\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Stuff We Love&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Stuff We Love","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/stuff-we-love\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Audubon Clock","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/02\/audubonclock.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7712,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-baby-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":2362,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: Baby Birds","author":"Hillary T.","date":"May 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"When you see a baby bird out of its nest, it's hard to resist the urge to help. While it may seem helpless, more often than not the baby bird is just fine. Most birds that people try to rescue are still being cared for by their parents and should\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Take 5&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/960DeborahMonte5017.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/960DeborahMonte5017.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/960DeborahMonte5017.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5417,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/trailside-to-the-rescue\/","url_meta":{"origin":2362,"position":4},"title":"Trailside to the Rescue","author":"Hillary T.","date":"May 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"When\u00a0four great horned owl chicks and their nest blew out of their tree near Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton due to high winds in early May, the team at Trailside knew exactly what to do.\u00a0Trailside has successfully placed\u00a03,000 baby hawks and owls into foster nests over the past 30\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Stuff We Love&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Stuff We Love","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/stuff-we-love\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo by Dan Burton ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/05\/GHO_1-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/05\/GHO_1-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/05\/GHO_1-1024x768.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12716,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-nest-builders\/","url_meta":{"origin":2362,"position":5},"title":"Take 5: Nest Builders","author":"Ryan D.","date":"May 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The varied landscapes of Massachusetts provide nesting spots for nearly 200 bird species and spring is prime time for nest-building and brooding. You may have seen birds flitting back and forth with beaks full of twigs, grasses, and even plastic refuse to fortify their nests, which may pop up in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Take 5&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tree Swallow \u00a9 Steve Nikola","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/4680Steve_Nikola21176.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/4680Steve_Nikola21176.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/4680Steve_Nikola21176.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/4680Steve_Nikola21176.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2362"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3562,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2362\/revisions\/3562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}