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 Have you found
a young or injured bird or other wild animal?
What to do... |
When NOT to "Rescue" a Wild Animal (copied from Washington State Fish and
Wildlife Rehabilitation web site):
Many wild animals do not need to be "rescued" and there is almost NEVER a time
when you should remove a baby wild animal from its natural environment – even if
it appears abandoned. More often than not, just leaving a young animal alone
affords it the best chance for survival.
Every year hundreds of young wild animals such as fawns, baby seals, and baby
birds are needlessly "rescued" and referred to wildlife rehabilitators. This is
extremely detrimental and harmful to the young animal, as well as disruptive and
costly to wildlife rehabilitators when they most need to concentrate limited
resources on truly orphaned or injured wildlife. Unless the animal is showing
obvious signs of illness or injury such as bleeding, vomiting, panting,
shivering, lethargy, ruffled feathers or fur, attack by cat/dog, leave them
there. You can help by always consulting a licensed wildlife rehabilitator prior
to collecting the animal, thereby preventing its handling.
Why these babies do not need rescuing. Young animals are often left alone for
hours while their parents gather food. They are being tended by their parents in
ways best for their survival and appropriate for that species, ensuring that
they retain natural wild behaviors. It is normal and typical for a deer fawn to
be left alone hiding in a bed. It is also common for young birds to leave the
nest before they are fully feathered or flight-ready. They will be fed on the
ground for a day or two by the parents until they are able to fly. Careful
observation before distressing and collecting these animals should help you make
a correct decision whether or not they are truly orphaned or injured and need
help.
Yes, very young birds sometimes fall out of nests. If you can safely reach the
nest, put it back. The adults will NOT reject their young because "they smell
like people." If the bird is older or you cannot find the nest, place it in a
tree or shrub or on a shaded portion of a roof, out of the way of cats, dogs,
and children. Do not unnecessarily handle or move it from the general area where
it was found. If a baby bird shows obvious signs of illness or injury, call a
wildlife rehabilitator first and describe what you see.
Email wildlife rehabilitation questions to
rehabcoord@dfw.wa.gov.
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Baby Birds Out of the Nest (WA Fish and Wildlife):
Sooner or later, no matter where you live, you’ll come across a baby bird on the
ground. You’ll have to decide whether you should rescue it or leave it to fend
for itself. In most cases, it is best not to interfere. The natural parents do a
much better job at raising their young than we could ever do. A baby bird that
is featherless must be fed every 15 to 20 minutes from about sunrise to 10 p.m.!
This obviously requires a large time commitment on the part of the foster
parent.
If you find an uninjured nestling that has fallen or been pushed out of its
nest, replace it in the nest. It is not true that birds abandon their chicks if
a person touches them. Birds have a poor sense of smell.
Finding fully feathered birds: If the bird is fully or partially feathered,
chances are it doesn't need your help. As young birds develop they soon outgrow
the limited space of a nest. The young birds, referred to as “fledglings” or
“branchers” at this stage, typically leave the nest and move about on the ground
and on low branches for a few days before they can fly (Fig. 1). Their parents
are nearby and continue to care for the birds, answering their demanding calls
with regular deliveries of food. The scolding calls coming from the nearby tree
are likely the adult birds, voicing their disapproval while they wait for you to
leave.
Unless injured, the fledgling bird should be left where it is. Efforts should be
made to keep cats, dogs, and curious children away from the bird so the mother
can continue to feed it.
Unfortunately, this is when people often interfere and take a healthy bird out
of the wild. Not only is this illegal (except in the case of starlings, house
sparrows, and domestic pigeons), but it also deprives the growing bird of
essential care it needs from its parents.
Finding naked birds or birds with beginning feathers: If you find an uninjured
nestling that has fallen or been pushed out of its nest, replace it in the nest
(Fig. 2). (Note that this behavior is actually adaptive for some species. This
way, only the strongest of the brood survive and go on to raise young
themselves.) If the nest has fallen down (common after windstorms), replace the
nest in a tree with the baby bird(s) in it. (It is not true that birds abandon
their chicks if a person touches them. Birds have a poor sense of smell.)
If you can’t find the nest or accessing it is too dangerous, put the baby bird
where its parents can find it but where it will be safe from cats. Use a small
plastic berry basket, margarine tub, or similar container lined with shredded
paper towels (no cotton products, which tend to tangle up in birds’ feet). With
a nail or wire, fasten the makeshift nest to a shady spot in a tree or tall
shrub near where the bird was found. Next, place the nestling inside, tucking
the feet underneath the body.
The parents will usually come back in a short time and will feed the babies in
the container just as if it were the original nest. (Often, you will see the
mother going back and forth between each “nest,” feeding both sets of babies.)
Times when you should consider quickly getting the bird to a wildlife
rehabilitator:
(1) If the parents don’t find the new nest within two hours, or if you are
certain that the mother of a baby bird is dead;
(2) if the bird is hurt or sick (unable to flutter wings, bleeding, wings
drooping unevenly, weak or shivering), or the bird was attacked by cat or dog,
call a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. The longer the delay, the less chance
the bird has of surviving. Your local wildlife office keeps a list of
rehabilitators and can tell you which ones serve your area, or you can look
under “Animals” or “Wildlife” in your phone directory. If a rehabilitator isn’t
available, follow the menu options over the phone or on the group’s Web site for
information on what to do. (See Wildlife Rehabilitators and Wildlife
Rehabilitation for additional information.)
While waiting for a rehabilitator to arrive, pick the bird up with your gloved
hands and place it in a well-ventilated, covered box or paper bag that is padded
with paper towels.
Keep the baby bird warm and in a quiet, dark place until it can be picked up by
a wildlife rehabilitator. If the bird is cold, put one end of the bird’s
container on a heating pad set on low. Or, fill a zip-top plastic bag, plastic
soft-drink container with a screw lid, or a rubber glove with hot water. Wrap
the warm container with cloth, and put it next to the animal. Make sure the
container doesn’t leak, or the animal will get wet and chilled.
Do not give the baby bird any liquids (they get all they need from their food
and very often will inhale any liquid).
Wash your hands after contact with the bird. Wash anything the bird was in
contact with—towel, jacket, blanket, pet carrier—to prevent the spread of
diseases and/or parasites to you or your pets.
Adapted from "Living with Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest"
Written by: Russell Link, Urban Wildlife Biologist.
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