JSPCA
PRESS RELEASE
March
2004
MIND THE BABY!
Springtime sees the arrival of many wild baby birds and every spring and summer many people contact the JSPCA animals’ Shelter after finding what they believe to be an abandoned baby or young bird. In most cases these young birds have not been abandoned; the mother is usually close by and looking out for the youngsters.
In the spring and summer many baby birds are found on the ground. They may have fallen from the nest, but the majority are fledglings, which have actually intentionally left the nest.
Baby birds can be categorised
according to the different stages of growth and are either described as
hatchlings, nestlings or fledglings. If a hatchling or nestling is found
on the ground, it probably fell out of the nest by accident and will need
immediate help. Please place
the young bird in a small box lined with tissue, newspaper or a small
towel. Keep the box in a warm,
dark, quiet place and immediately contact the JSPCA Animals’ Shelter. If you find a young bird that is
out of its nest, it is probably a fledgling, which has intentionally left
the nest. Garden bird
fledglings usually leave the nest about two weeks after hatching, which is
just before they are able to fly. They
will have grown all or most of their feathers and are very mobile and can
walk, run and hop on to low branches.
The fledgling’s parents, who are rarely far away, feed the
youngsters and encourage them to stay under
cover. Often one parent will look after the fledgling, while the
other
parent makes a nest for a second or even third brood of young.
If a fledgling is found on the ground, do not be tempted to pick it up.
Fledglings go through a stage, when they are learning to fly, where they may jump or fall out of the nest and live on the ground for several days. Normally their parents are around, feeding them, showing them where to look for food, hiding them under bushes, and fiercely protecting them if they are threatened.
The
best action to take if a fledgling bird is found on the ground is:
•
To keep dogs, cats and children away from the area for a few days.
•
If
there is a concern about predators, gently move the fledgling under cover,
close by, so that the parents can easily find it.
•
If you have already picked up the bird, put it back where you found it or
place it under a nearby bush, so that the parents can find it again. The
parents are often nearby.
•
Young birds that are in immediate danger from a predator or traffic should
be placed out of harm, a short distance away.
•
To satisfy yourself that the bird is safe and that the natural parents have
found the fledgling and can take care of it, go away from the site and
return to it in an hour, so that you can check all is well.
Alternatively, quietly observe the youngster, but stay a far enough
distance away from the fledgling so that the parents are not afraid to come
near.
• If a young bird or fledgling is clearly sick or injured, or you think it has been genuinely abandoned or orphaned, then put it in a dark, warm box and take it to your nearest veterinary surgeon or the JSPCA Animals’ Shelter for treatment, care and rehabilitation.
Fledglings should only ever be
removed from the area it has been found in if you are sure that it has been
abandoned or if it is clearly injured.
Expert advice should then be sought immediately; it is very easy to
unintentionally imprint a young bird onto humans, therefore meaning that it
would not be suitable to return to the wild.
Contact the JSPCA Animals’ Shelter
if you find an injured baby bird or fledgling, or if you require further
information about baby birds and fledglings.
ENDS
Notes
for Editors: