You see the animal lying on the ground, but should you take it in? What precautions should you take?
It's early summer and you've found a small baby bird fluttering in the grass by a tree in your yard. Though you're not a certified physician, your conscience and your 5-year-old child both insist that you should do something to help the fledgling.
What should you do?
- The best thing you can do for the bird is to leave it alone. Most likely the bird is still learning to fly and its mother will help it along.
- However, if the baby bird is in danger of becoming lunch to somebody's pet, then you should try to return the fledgling to its nest. The mother bird will have no negative reaction to the human smell of the baby bird. However, use extremely gentle care when handling the baby.
- If you can't find the nest, make one. Poke holes in a small container (so the nest won't fill with water when it rains,) and fill it with small scraps of old clothing. You can nail the nest to a nearby tree, and if the parent birds hear the baby chirping they will probably go ahead and feed it.
- Make sure the bird feels warm. If it doesn't, you should take it indoors and care for it. Place the bird in a small container with athermometer and use a heating pad or a lamp to keep the temperature at 95 degrees. Once it is warm, you may return the bird to its nest.
- If the bird is weak and cold it would be a good idea to call your local wildlife rehabilitation center. If you attempt to feed it, make sure the bird is warm first. You can feed it meal worms or earthworms. Make sure the food is soft and soaked in water.