Baby Snipe

Finding baby birds

It's common in spring and summer to find young birds sitting on the basis or hopping virtually without whatever sign of their parents.

Finding baby birds on their own

Seeing babe birds on their own is perfectly normal, then there'due south no need to be worried. These fledglings are doing exactly what nature intended and left the nest deliberately a short while before they are able to fly.

Young chick, Conwy RSPB Reserve

Fledgling birds

However tempting, interfering with a young bird like this volition practice more than harm than practiced. Fledglings are extremely unlikely to be abandoned by their parents. Only because you cannot come across the adult birds does non mean that they are non there. The parents are probably merely away collecting food - or are subconscious from view nearby keeping a watchful eye, or even existence frightened away from their youngster by your presence. Fledglings should be left where they are, in the care of their own parents.

Removal of a fledgling from the wild has to exist a very last resort - and then only if information technology is injured or has definitely been abandoned or orphaned.

Please exercise not contact us about a infant bird, as we are unable to help. If you encounter an injured bird, contact The RSPCA (England and Wales), SSPCA (Scotland) and USPCA (Northern Ireland)

Protective parents

The young of about familiar garden birds fledge in one case they are fully feathered, but before they are able to fly. These fledglings spend a mean solar day or two, sometimes longer, on the ground while their flight feathers complete their growth. The simply exceptions are swifts, swallows and house martins, which are able to fly well as presently as they exit the nest and should never exist plant on the ground.

Tawny owl chicks are mobile at a very early age and tin can exist seen climbing in and around their nest tree before they are even half-grown. If you find a fledgling or young owl, exit it where it is. Interfering with a young owl may event in yous existence attacked by a protective parent.

Can I put information technology dorsum in its nest?

If the young bird is unfeathered or covered in fluffy downward (a nestling) and has obviously fallen out of a nest by accident, it may be possible to put it back. Merely do this if you are sure which nest the chick came from and if it appears strong and salubrious. Sometimes parent birds sense there is something wrong with one of their chicks, or that it is dying. In cases like this they volition squirt it out of the nest and then they can concentrate on looking after the healthy ones.

If a healthy chick cannot be returned to its nest, it will exist dependent on humans for survival and should exist passed on to an expert rehabilitator as shortly every bit possible.

If the immature bird has a full covering of feathers, it will have left the nest deliberately and is no longer meant to be in a nest. Such a bird should be left where it is, in the care of its ain parents.

Yellow wagtail chicks in nest in potato field

What if the bird is in danger?

Removal of a fledgling from the wild reduces its chances of long-term survival to a small fraction, and is ordinarily the worst thing that could be done. Fledglings should exist left where they are, in the care of their parents.

If the bird is on a busy path or road, or other potentially dangerous, exposed location, it makes sense to selection information technology up and move it a short distance to a safer place. Make sure you go out information technology within hearing distance of where it was establish. Birds have a poor sense of smell so handling a young bird does not crusade its parents to abandon it.

If you have cats, make sure they are kept indoors until the fledglings are airborne. In any conflict of interest between wild fauna and domestic pets, information technology is always the domestic pet that must requite way.

Captive-bred Corncrakes, Crex crex, at Whipsnade Zoo.

Who to contact for assist

The RSPB does non run bird hospitals or a rescue service, so please do not contact usa nearly a infant bird, as we are unable to help.

The RSPCA (England and Wales), SSPCA (Scotland) and USPCA (Northern Ireland) are the national charities that help and advise on injured wild animals. Yous can also find an independent local rescue centre on Assist Wildlife.

Young house sparrows feeding on garden lawn