Caring for Orphaned Song Birds

The warm months of spring and summer bring a host of songs from birds to us. Robins, blue jays and starlings line the branches of trees and entertain us with their foraging and flight. It is very common for us to come across fledglings or orphaned birds during this time of year as well. These creatures are fragile and knowing how to care for a truly orphaned bird can very well save it's life.

The first thing you should be aware of is that you must try and reach a federally licensed bird rehabilitator to take the bird into their care. Your state Fish and Wildlife department should have a listing of licensed rehabilitators near you. Keeping any wild animal or bird without proper permitting and licenses is against the law.

The second item overlooked by most people is determining whether or not the bird is truly orphaned. Fledglings leave the nest on their own to learn to fly. These young birds are fully feathered and look like a smaller version of their parents. They will live on the ground near bushes or trees for cover for a week or two until they are strong enough to fly and feed themselves. The parent(s) will watch over the youngster from a nearby tree and feed them every thirty minutes to an hour from dawn to dusk. If you watch from a distance (not too close or the baby won't get fed!) you will see the parent feeding their offspring. Don't take your eyes off the fledgling during this time or you will miss the feeding as it only takes a few seconds. The main reason a song bird enters a rehabilitation setting is because they have been accidentally kidnapped by an unknowing person.

A bird nest can be a crowded place, sometimes, babies are pushed out of the nest too early by a sibling or fall out from a storm or high winds. These birds are not fully feathered, sometimes they may still have their eyes closed and are obviously too small to be on their own. If you find a bird that fits this description, look for the nest and try and place the baby back into it. People cannot care for the bird as well as it's parents. It is a myth that the parents will "smell" human on the infant and abandon it.