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#1
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“My children brought in a nest
of baby birds that fell from the tree.”
“Are the parents around? “
“Yes, but the birds were handled. Won’t the parents reject them?”
”No.”
Most people believe they will. It is the #1 myth
of baby bird rescue.
In fact, the nest of baby birds found by the children was in the house
for almost 24 hours, yet the moment nest and babies were placed back in
the tree and the people moved away, the parents arrived and began caring
for them. |
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#2
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Any baby bird that cannot fly is thought to belong
in the nest. A baby bird that is fully feathered, can
stand, hop, and perch (balance on a branch) is a fledgling
that has left the nest on purpose. Its parents will
try to protect it while it gains flight ability. |
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#3
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A bird that is thought to need help is often left
alone and watched for a day or two. If the bird is
sick, injured, or orphaned this is wasted time and
jeopardizes the bird’s chance for survival. Do
watch a healthy fledgling for a few hours to see if
parents are caring for it.
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#4
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Often a bird is “protected” by placing
it in a birdcage or open box and leaving it outside.
This is stressful, traps the bird and makes it more
vulnerable. The young, injured, or sick need a safe
place to HIDE. Use a pet carrier or ventilated box
with a cover and place the container in a garage, screened
porch, basement or in the house away from pets and
people. Do this before you call a rehabilitator. A
bird that “isn’t going anywhere” often
does.
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#5
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The impulse to give a rescued bird food and water
is understandable, however, incorrectly done it can
cause more harm than good hence the advice, “don’t
attempt to give food or water”. Any liquid placed
directly into the bird’s mouth can get into the
lungs and cause aspiration pneumonia. Mistakes made
in feeding a baby bird can also threaten the bird’s
life.
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#6
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Some food misconceptions are: All birds eat earthworms
(just robins and a few others); all birds eat seeds
(some adult birds, no baby birds); bread is a good
food for birds (NEVER); the baby bird formulae sold
in pet shops say they are for “all baby birds” (wrong.
Baby birds require a high percentage of animal protein.
These products are grain based.); The baby bird LOVES
the food I gave it, so it must be good for it (a
very hungry baby will eat just about anything); I
put food/water in the box but it didn’t want
any (baby birds don’t feed themselves, even
after they have first learned to fly).
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#7
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Over and over I hear, “I just couldn’t
let it die; I had to do something”. Many people
care when they see one of our wild neighbors struggling
to survive, especially the young ones. “Something”,
based on good information, will lead to a more positive
outcome. The best and only legal “something” is
to take it to someone with the knowledge, experience
and license to care for it. |
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