Don’t’ be too eager to rescue a fully feathered young songbird (fledgling) that can’t quite fly. When the birds first leave the nest they may still be on the ground with mom and dad feeding them for a few days until they can fly. Keep children, dogs and  cats away.

If you are unable to contact a rehabber after several hours then the following information should be helpful. These instructions are for temporary care only. It is best not to feed an animal until you have spoken with a rehabber.

Temporary Emergency Instructions

If you have found an injured adult bird place him in a well venalated box or pet carrier and keep in a warm isolated part of your house away from children and pets. Because you may not know what the bird eats, it is best to provide seed as well as soaked dog food or cat food. Provide a small container of water that will not turn over. READ further down on other instructions for injured adult birds.

If you have found a baby bird on the ground that is injured or you are unable to put back into a nest, then bring inside and make a temporary nest out of an unused margarine tub (or something similar) lined with tissues. Provide supplemental heat from a heading pad set on low under half the container or a lamp. Check heat on the baby often so as not to over heat. DO NOT feed the baby bird or give water. Contact a rehabilitator or Wildlife Center immediately. READ further down for instructions for getting babies back with their mom’s.

Fallen out of nest
 

Baby birds that have just fallen out of a nest can be put back.  Don’t worry about putting human smell on the babies.  The mother won’t usually care. If the nest is too high, then make a makeshift nest out of a basket and line it with dried grass and pine straw. Also, you can use a ½ gallon or gallon plastic milk carton (cut hole in the bottom for drainage) with a large hole cut in the side. Snap the top on too. Snuggle the baby down into the nest and hang near as possible to the original nest.  If bad weather comes around then bring in the bird and set back out as soon as possible. The parents will continue to feed the babies at both locations.

Unsuitable location of nest

If a bird’s nest has been built in an unsuitable location (example: a boat parked in the driveway and not used much) then move the nest 10 inches a day until you relocate to a better place.

Hit window

Birds that have run into windows will many times recover.  Place the bird in a paper bag or in a box with air holes.  Place in a QUIET place for an hour. Each time you check on the bird, bring him back outside. Open the bag or box and if the bird doesn’t take off then try again in another hour. Try for 3 hours.  If the bird has one wing down (dragging) or a bad head tilt then the caller will need to get the bird to a vet or rehabber.

Birds in my fireplace or chimney

During the summer months (usually around July), you may hear chattering in your chimney. This is usually from a nest of Chimney Swifts. Please do not build a fire and smoke them out. They cannot leave until they are able to fly. PLUS there is a fine of $15,000.00 or six months in jail for failing to follow regulations in dealing with removal. Consider yourself lucky to have these beautiful delicate birds that can eat up to 2,000 insects a day. Once the babies have left the nest (several weeks) then have your chimney capped so that they will not come back next year. If one of the babies should fall down into the fireplace itself, try putting the baby in a bread basket and wedging it back into the chimney in hopes that he will be able to crawl back up with his siblings. Remember to remove the basket in a few hours.