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* * More Info on What To Do When Finding a Baby Bird * *When discovering a baby bird on the ground, most people want to help but don't know what to do. The old myth that touching a baby bird will cause the parents to reject it is FALSE.
If you cannot identify the bird, send a photograph to EastValleywildlife@gmail.com or post to our facebook page  |
BABY BIRD PHOTO/ID GALLERY
CLICK HERE FOR AN ID SHEET ON COMMON BABY BIRDS IN THE PHX AREA
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Birds have a limited sense of smell so detecting human scent is not an issue. |
Here are some common but difficult babies to identify.
 sparrow |
 grackle |
 mockingbirds |
A baby bird can be returned to the nest without problem if the baby isn't cold, sick, or injured...
and you return him to the right nest!
What is the most important thing to check for when finding a baby bird?
Make sure he is warm and alert!
| Renesting A Baby Bird | |
| Certain birds can be renested easier than others. Doves have the best chance of being renested but grackle kids should always be rescued. Adult grackles will call out the entire Grackle National Guard to scream at anyone who comes close to a fallen youngster but they have little interest in taking care of a baby on the ground. Sometimes the parent bird is trying to care for the baby on the ground but that can be dangerous because of predators. Getting the baby back to the nest is the ideal solution if the parents are still around. If the nest is destroyed, a natural fiber basket filled with dried grass will also work if hung in a protected place. Think "nest size" when making a selection...no laundry baskets, please. Plus the nest needs drainage in case it rains so plastic containers and cardboard boxes will not work. Also consider the protection the nest needs...it may look like a shady spot but will the afternoon sun hit it directly and bake the baby inside? Wire or tie the nest to the branch so it won't blow out again during the next wind storm. Watch from a distance to make sure the parent returns to care for the baby. If the baby is very young and alone after dark, it needs to be rescued. |
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| If the Baby is an Orphan | |||
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If the bird appears to be an orphan and cannot move around well, pick it up off the ground before cats, dogs, kids, hawks, grackles, or ants attack it. If you can pick the bird up easily, it's either injured or too young to be out of the nest and it does need to be rescued.
Keep all orphaned and injured wildlife warm with a heat source even in the middle of summer! |
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| If the Baby is Found in the Swimming Pool | |
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Young birds that are just learning to fly often end up in a swimming pool. After scooping the bird out of the pool, your first priority is to get the bird warm as the cold water lowers body temperature. The bird needs to be next to a heat source. Wrapping the bird in a towel or blanket does no good. Do not put the bird in direct sunlight which will dehydrate him. Place the bird in a covered box with a heating pad or hot water bottle. You should see him perk up after 15-20 minutes. If this is an injured adult bird, call a rehabber after warming the bird up. If this happens just before you are leaving for work or other appointment, at least fill up a empty plastic milk or water jug with hot water from the faucet and put it next to the bird.  |
| If the Baby is Found on the Ground | |
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Some baby birds leave the nest and are on the ground for a day or two before they can fly up into a tree. Doves are on the ground for 3-4 days! The bird should try to get away from you if you approach and possibly flutter fly a short distance. Give these kids a chance as parents are still feeding them and teaching them how to find food. They don't need to be rescued unless you see a cat nearby or other predators are a problem or if they are in a dangerous location. If the bird opens his mouth to be feed as you approach, then he is too young to be out of the nest. |
| Temporary Food | |||
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If the baby songbird is warm, alert, and opening his mouth for food, chop up a hard boiled egg and feed small pieces. Soaked kitten kibble can also be used. A good quality kitten food such as Science Diet or Iams is best. Most baby birds need to be fed often throughout the day (sometimes every 15 miutes for newly hatched birds) but they don't need to be fed at night. Baby doves and pigeons don't gape for food. Mash up hard boiled egg yolk with water and feed drops along the outside of the bill. Strained chicken baby food (Gerber's, Beechnut) can also be used for temporary care. Never squirt water down a bird's throat; instead put a drop of water along the outside of the beak and allow the bird to swallow on his own.
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| Precocial Babies (covered with down and capable of moving about when hatched) | |
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Precocial baby birds take longer to hatch but once they do, they're ready to follow mom (and sometimes dad) away from the nest. They can walk, swim (ducklings), and eat on their own. They're covered with soft down but still need to huddle under their parents for warmth for at least the first week. |
| Quail and Killdeer | |
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These babies are very fragile...do not handle any more then necessary. They also eat on their own...do not try to force food or water into their mouths. Keep extra warm (heating pad on medium). Finely crumble a hard boiled egg or shave the top of a broccoli floret for temporary food. Water needs to be in a SMALL jar lid with pebbles on the bottom; when these birds get wet, they crash fast. For more information, visit our webage on Birds with Specialized Needs. |
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Stress is the Number One killer of wildlife... keep all rescued birds in a warm, dark place in secure containment away from people, pets, and household noise. |
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Nestlings
If you find a healthy nestling recently fallen from a nest (the bird
isn't cold, injured, or lethargic) the bird can be replaced in the
nest. It must be placed back into the right nest, however, or the
parents will reject it. If the nest has been destroyed, a substitute nest can be made from a small woven basket or plastic berry basket lined with dry grass (the container must have drainage). Wire the basket back to the tree in an area as close to the original nest site as possible and the parent bird should continue to care for her offspring. Watch the nest carefully over the next few hours to make sure the parent bird has found the new nest. If the baby bird is cold, injured or cannot be returned to its nest, it must be rescued. |
Fledglings
Older baby birds who are starting to leave the nest and learning to
fly may wind up on the ground and don't yet have the capability to
get back up into a tree. Fledglings can usually "flutter-fly" and hide in bushes and ground cover until they can fly. If conditions are suited to their survival (there is ground cover, bushes, or other places to hide, and there are no obvious predators such as cats, dogs, or curious children in the area) the bird should be watched to make sure the parent bird is nearby. Parent birds do the best job of raising their offspring, so it is desirable to keep the feathered families together if at all possible. However, fledglings that are injured, orphaned, or in obvious danger from predators need to be rescued. |
Hummingbirds
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Hummingbirds need a special protein formula that researchers
have developed for our wildlife rehabilitators. Babies do
not survive on sugar water alone, which will result in
deformities and death. Sugar water will also get their
feathers sticky and damaged. The mother catches
hundreds of small insects to feed the babies as, like many
baby birds, they require lots of protein in their diet. The
young fledge in 18-29 days depending on species, food
supply, and weather conditions. They often sit on the side
of their nest for 2-3 days to exercise their wings before
fledging.
Last updated
November 1, 2022