Finding a baby bird

Throughout the Spring and Summer months people come across baby birds, some most certainly will need help, whilst others need to be left alone. Hopefully, the following information will act as a guide if you've just found 'that baby bird'.

If you've just found a naked hatchling it will need to be rescued immediately. Please follow our emergency care for baby birds. However, if your baby bird is a nestling and you know exactly where its nest is, it may be possible to return it. Birds have a very poor sense of smell, consequently they will not abandon their baby just because you have handled it. Carefully return the baby bird back into its nest, and watch from a distance to be sure the parent birds are returning to feed and care for the nestling.

However, if after an hour no parent birds have been seen returning to the nest, or you have been unable to find the nest, or the nestling feels very cold, or has some visible injuries, you will need to follow our emergency care for baby birds.

If the baby bird you have just found is a healthy fledgling and it's hopping about while parent birds return to feed it, you will need to leave this baby alone as it most certainly doesn't need your help. The only time a healthy fledgling will need your help is if it's in an unsafe place, or there is a predator. If the place is unsafe move the fledgling to a suitable location, either under the nearest bush, or placed on a nearby tree branch. DO NOT remove the bird from the immediate area as its parents know exactly where to find it.

If the predator is your cat, bring the cat inside immediately, and keep your cat shut in until you're quite sure the fledgling has moved off to a safer area. It can take a few days, to a full week, before a fledgling can fly well enough to keep up with its parents, or evade predators. It is important to note that if a baby bird has been either caught, or brought in, by your cat you will need to follow our emergency care for baby birds.