If You Care, Leave Them There: What to do with young birds
A question that comes up every spring and early summer is: what do I do with the young bird I found? Most people who spend enough time observing nature will make the startling discovery of finding a young bird (fledgling) that has for one reason or another, has separated from its nest. Especially in the spring, finding these birds can be rather common.
Though the impulse to help a seemingly abandoned or struggling bird (or other wild animal) is a good thing, generally speaking, it is best to leave the creature where you found it. Most birds people find in this way are fledglings: young birds which have left the nest, but cannot necessarily fly yet. In many cases, this is a survival adaptation for birds: a nest clamoring with young can attract predators, whereas young that are spread out across an area can often find shelter and still be attended by their parents, without endangering other young.
As Laurie Wolf with the Montana WILD center says, “Some people think the fledglings they’ve found are abandoned, but wildlife often have different ways of keeping their young safe than humans do.” She reminds that many songbird fledglings have to develop the ability to fly after leaving the nest. Wolf suggests one of the best things people can do, especially during spring and early summer when many types of wildlife young can be vulnerable, is to keep pets indoors or restrained. “A lot of the inquiries about rehabilitation we receive at FWP are wild animals that have been injured by domestic pets, like cats and dogs.” she adds.
If the bird you’ve found is a very young, sparsely-feathered nestling however, gently returning it to its nest, if nearby, is acceptable: the myth persists about human scent causing nestlings to be rejected by their parents is false. In Montana, there are several raptor rehabilitation centers which may accept sick or injured birds of prey. Due to their larger body size, raptors can sometimes be rehabilitated if their condition is not too severe. Remember though: fledgling birds regardless of species should generally be left alone. Their parents are usually nearby and waiting to care for their young.
If you care….leave them there!