Wild Bird Rescue receives numerous calls annually regarding baby birds people have found.  It is very important to determine if the bird is truly orphaned or abandoned before they are rescued (orphaned means the parents are dead, abandoned is when the parents can not care for them).  It is extremely important to understand that the mother’s love for her babies will overcome the smell left by the human touch and that birds do not have a sense of smell as we know it.  Call Wild Bird Rescue (940-691-0828) to discuss your situation about the baby you have found.  Each instance is unique and we can help determine if the baby needs reunited or rescued.

Song Birds

A nestling (naked or beginning feathers) may fall or be blown or pushed out of the nest.  The first thing we should do is try to put the baby back in the nest (handling the baby will NOT discourage the parents from caring for their young).  If the nest is out of reach, construct a makeshift nest out of a margarine dish or small box with several holes punched in the bottom for water drainage.  A small basket made of straw, wicker or the lattice type (used for berries) may also be used.  Attach a wire or string for a handle so the nest can hang from a tree branch.  Pad the interior of the nest with a smooth cloth (t-shirt type material – do NOT use terry cloth or paper product), place the baby bird inside tucking the feet underneath the body, and hang the nest from the same tree as the baby came from.  If the lowest branch is unreachable, hang the nest from a tree as close as possible to the “home” tree.  If the nest came from the side of a building or from under the eave of a building, the “new” nest can be hung from under the eave of the building.  Watch, from a distance, for the return of the parents.  If there has been no adult activity at the nest by dark, the nest should be pulled inside and overnight care instructions given.  The caller can bring the baby to WBR the next day.

Fledglings (first stage of leaving the nest and are feathered, sometimes with downy tufts) are learning to fly – a process that may take several days – and should be left alone to practice hopping around and flying from low shrub branches to the ground and back.  The parents still care for these young birds and will be close by; you may not see them, but you can probably hear them calling to their young from a nearby tree or shrub.  If the baby is in imminent danger of predators or children, the baby should come to WBR.

Killdeer (also called Killdee)

These birds lay their eggs on the ground, the nest being a small indentation in the gravel or loose rocks.  As soon as the eggs hatch the babies follow their parents learning how to find their food (the parents do not feed them).  The parents protect their babies by acting injured when a predator gets to close.  They will dangle one wing and flop around as if trying to fly away with a broken wing.  This action draws the predator to them allowing the babies to have time to run to thick cover and hide.  As soon as the babies are hidden, the adult is “cured” and flies away.  We get many calls from people that have picked up baby Killdeer because they did not see the parent or they saw the “injured mom” and she must not be able to care for them.  It is critical that the baby be returned to the area where he was found, the parents will be there and will continue to care for him.  Baby Killdeer are very high-stress birds and do not do well in captivity, rehabilitation success rate is less than 5% nation wide.  It is extremely important to take every measure possible to return them to their parents before we take them at WBR.

Nightjars (also known as Bullbats) (Nighthawks, Poor-Will, Whip-Poor-Will and Chuck-Wills-Widow):

This family of birds lay their eggs on loose rock or gravel.  Many buildings have flat roofs with gravel base and this is another favorite nesting place.  Nightjars are nocturnal.  During the day the babies are hidden under thick shrubs or in tall grass and the parents will come at night and “shoo” them into the open to feed them.  Most baby nightjars are picked up in parking lots where the parents have been catching insects under the lights and feeding the babies.  Simply  place the baby under the closest shrub or in the grass next to the parking lot.  If the baby walks away from the safe area, put him in a shallow box.