A baby bird needs help if: 

• They are cold, collapsed, wet, or unresponsive

• They have areas of visible skin

• There are signs of injury, blood, wing/leg out of place, falling over

• They been in contact with an animal

• They have insects or other objects (string, sap) on their body

• An event was witnessed (e.g. a window collision)

A baby bird does NOT need help if all of the following are true:

• They are fully feathered, eyes open and are alert

• Can stand on both feet, walk, and grip onto a perch

• They are, or can be placed in a safe location such as low bush for the parents to continue to care 

If you are ever unsure, please call us! A photo of the bird can be very helpful if you can take one before calling. 

Most species of birds leave the nest BEFORE they can fly well. These birds are called fledglings. They are fully feathered and able to perch, walk, and take short flights. They will have short stubby tails (there is no room for long tails in a nest!) and gradually increase their flight strength each day outside of the nest. 

Parents will continue to care during this important phase of their young lives. Parents will continue to bring them food, and teach them how to forage and avoid predators. During the first few days fledglings are naive, can often be approached, and can find themselves in dangerous situations. 

If you have spotted a healthy fledgling in a dangerous situation (middle of the road, in a window well) you can relocate the bird to a nearby low bush. Parents WILL NOT abandon their young if they have been touched by a human. We do recommend covering the bird with a small towel to ensure safe transportation to the new location. 

Try and observe or listen from a distance for parental care. Parents should be providing a feeding at least every 2 hours. Feedings are very fast to observe but parents and young will call back and forth to find each other.

If you have rescued a baby bird:

• Use a rolled-up towel to create a nest shape and line with facial tissue/paper towel

• Place the nest inside a box with air holes and the young bird inside the nest. Close the box.  

• If the bird does not have feathers, a heat source (eg. hot water bottle) can be used to warm the air around the bird. A heat source should NEVER be placed in direct contact with the bird. Lightbulbs as a heat source are not recommended as the light will encourage the bird to stay awake and can cause dehydration/burns to their delicate skin. 

• DO NOT give ANY food or water, even if the bird is begging. Baby birds do not drink water and an improper diet can negatively affect their delicate digestive system. 

• Baby birds require a lot of sleep. Keep the box closed, away from pets, and in a quiet location. The more uninterrupted rest, the more energy the young bird will have to recover from injury/illness.

• If you are unable to transport the bird to a rehabilitation facility in 24 hours, please contact us for temporary care instructions.

As they are often found low to the ground, flightless and alone, fledglings are often unnecessarily removed from their environment by well-meaning individuals.

If a young bird is fully feathered, alert, able to walk or hop, and can perch on low branches, PLEASE LEAVE IT ALONE.

It is normal for parents to leave their young alone for periods of time as they search for food and care for other fledglings.

Fledglings often leave the nest at different times than their siblings and remain separate from them while grounded. This allows the family to avoid predators as a whole.

If you are unsure if a fledgling is being cared for by its parents, watch from a distance for at least two hours and see if an adult bird comes down to it. If you are too close the parents will not return. Watch from inside a house or car if able.

If a fledgling has had no parent come down to it for more than two hours or if you are confident that it has been truly orphaned, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (us, if in the Ottawa Valley Region)  for further instructions.

Please keep cats and dogs indoors if fledglings are present.

The fledgling stage is certainly one of the most dangerous times in a bird’s life but is completely natural and necessary. Cats in the neighborhood is not a sufficient reason to interfere and take fledglings away from their parents. The best chance any wild bird has for ultimate survival is to be raised by its parents.

• If found out of the nest

• If bleeding or bruised

• If cold to the touch

• If covered in parasites or other insects

• If in contact with a cat or dog

• If trapped or entangled

• If otherwise obviously injured or in distress

• If a nestling is found injured or in obvious distress, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for further instructions.

• If a nestling is found out of the nest but warm to the touch and uninjured it can be placed back in the nest. Birds WILL NOT abandon their eggs or young if touched by humans.

• In some circumstances, it may be ideal to place the bird back into a nest, repair a damaged nest, or even provide a new nest for parents to continue care. 

• The original nest location must be known and the young bird must be warm, uninjured, and alert to consider this option. 

• As each situation is different and there are many factors to consider (species of bird, cause of nest disturbance, weather etc) we encourage you to contact the centre to discuss re-nesting steps in more detail. If you can take photos of the bird and nest situation that would be very helpful. 

• Babies need to be kept warm while re-nesting preparations are made or while they are waiting for transport to a licensed rehabilitator. For nestlings, make a temporary nest out of a rolled-up towel or line a margarine tub with paper towel or tissue. For fledglings, line an appropriate-sized box with a towel.

• Use an external heat source (e.g., heating pad on low, warm water bottle) to warm the air and area around the babies. Never place a bird directly on top of or directly under a heat source, including light bulbs. This can cause dehydration, burns and other trauma. Babies should feel warm to the touch but never hot. If the babies are breathing open-mouthed or lying with their necks stretched outside the makeshift nest, they are too hot. Ensure that active fledglings can move away from the heat source if they are uncomfortable.

• Keep all nestlings and fledglings away from drafts, pets, children, loud noises and other stresses and dangers at all times.

• Do not give fluids (i.e., do not give water with an eye dropper!). Baby birds do not drink water and the entrance to a bird’s airway is located in the mouth at the base of the tongue, making it very easy for fluids to enter the lungs. This can lead to pneumonia and death.

• Do not give any food. Improper diet and feeding techniques can have negative consequences. For example, milk and bread can cause diarrhea and lead to severe dehydration and malnourishment. Introducing food to a bird in poor condition with a low body temperature can shock its digestive system, leading to severe consequences, including death. If you cannot transport the bird(s) to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately, contact them by phone for further instructions.

• Do not excessively handle. Handling can lead to injuries, stress, shock and death. No matter how friendly a nestling or fledgling appears, it is NEVER in a wild animal’s best interest to be handled by humans. Please limit all contact to that which is strictly necessary.

• Baby birds require a full sleep cycle or they can succumb from exhaustion. If you are unable to bring them to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator until the morning, let them sleep throughout the night without interruption.