Help!! We have a baby bird on the sidewalk going up to our front steps.

[Jingle]

What do we do? It is so tiny, it can't fly and could easily sit in the palm of my hand, with extra room for three more. It's under a tree but I can't see a nest up there. It's a big tree.

It sits there and gives these little tiny chirps. Should we do anything? Should we just wait and see what happens?

 

[Princess Michelle]

I don't know. Maybe you could take it to a vet's office.

 

[preshi]

Does it have feathers or is it naked or downy or what? If it has feathers leave it alone if it's naked or had downy feathers see below:

Very Young (Nestling) Bird On Ground
Locate the nest which should be nearby. If it is not injured, gently pick up the baby and place it in the nest. Make sure the other babies in the nest look like the one you are replacing. Watch the nest from a distance to confirm that the parent bird returns to the nest. This could take several hours. Don't worry about your scent on the bird; the mother will not reject the baby.

A pre-fledgling on the ground can be put into a large box that is put in a tree or bush to keep the baby off the ground for a little while. Make sure the box is large enough so the parent will not be afraid to fly into it and the sides high enough so the pre-fledgling won’t hop right out.

If you cannot find the nest or cannot reach it, keep the baby warm and bring it to the museum as quickly as possible. Do not attempt to feed it anything.

If a nestling bird is injured, keep it warm and bring it to the museum.

Young (Fledgling) Bird on Ground
Has feathers but does not fly well, if at all, mostly hops and can jump to low branches. This period of being on the ground is a normal and necessary part of a bird developing the ability to fly. Keep your cats and dogs indoors while the fledgling is learning to fly. Watch from a distance to make sure its parents are feeding it. If you don't see the parents after watching for several hours or the bird has been caught by a cat or otherwise injured, bring it to the museum.

Do not automatically pick up a fledgling bird. It probably doesn’t need your help. The parents are attentive and will not abandon their offspring. It is important that young birds are raised by their parents.

Only if the bird is in imminent danger from cats or dogs should it be picked up and brought to us.

If you find one fledgling, you may see more. Talk to your neighbors about keeping pets indoors, especially in the morning and late afternoon.

Guidelines for Determining if Bird is Orphaned or Should be Brought in
If the bird was fed by humans, it should be brought in.

It is difficult to determine if a nestling bird has been abandoned. You must watch for several hours without looking away. The parents may visit and leave quickly and you may miss it if you look away.

If it is a fledgling, watch for the parents. Parents may stay away for a long period when the fledglings are older.

Many birds are raised by both parents; if one is killed, the other will continue to feed the young.

 

[Adrianna]

I'm not sure - what I'd do it try and find a nearby wildlife rehabilitation place and call them and they'll tell you what to do. If you can't find one, I would just call a vet and ask them, they might have some advice. Also, just go to google and see if you can find something through a search such as "wildlife rehabilitation - baby birds" or something like that I'm sure there is information online. I wish I had the time, I'd do the searching for you! Good luck

 

[Jingle]

The baby bird has feathers. It seems to be chirping back and forth with an adult bird in the tree.

 

[Adrianna]

I did a real quick search (not sure where exactly you are) and found these:

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/whealth/rehab/


http://members.tripod.com/wlrehab/html/rehabsit.htm

go to "wisconsin" list for:
WISCONSIN
Fellow Mortals, Lake Geneva, WI
Northwoods Wildlife Center, Minocqua, WI
Raptor Education Group, Inc., Antigo, WI
Wisconsin Humane Society, Wildlife Department, Milwaukee, WI

 

[Adrianna]

"I found a baby bird on the ground. What should I do?

A nestling, that is a naked or down-covered baby, found on the ground, should be put back in its nest if at all possible. If the youngster is cool to the touch it should be gently warmed in your hands before placing it back in the nest; the parents will not reject it because a human has touched it. However, there is an exception. Baby ducks and geese are walked to water from the nest soon after hatching. If you find a duckling or gosling at the nest after the mother and siblings have left, please call to speak with a wildlife staff person.

If the nest has fallen down, it can often be put back in place, or a substitute nest can be made from a berry basket, or an empty, clean margarine tub with several holes punched in the bottom for drainage, can be wired in the location of the original nest. The basket or bowl should be lined with some of the original nest material, if possible, or some dry grass. Once returned to the nest, the nestling should be watched or checked every half-hour or so to make sure the parents have returned to care for the young bird. Be sure to watch from cover, such as from inside your house to avoid scaring the parents away.

Fledgling songbirds are fully feathered. They leave the nest before they are able to fly and spend several days learning to fly on the ground. They are especially vulnerable to predator attacks at this time, but the parents continue to feed and attempt to defend the young bird during this period. If you feel a fledgling bird you have found is in immediate danger, you may place it in a bush or on a low tree branch to get it out of harm's way. If you are concerned that the bird may be orphaned, watch carefully, because it only takes the parent a few seconds to land next to the youngster, feed it, and take off again in search of more food.

In any case, if the young bird you have found appears to be sick or injured, or if it appears to be orphaned, or if you have found a young owl, hawk, heron, duck, or goose please speak with our Wildlife Rehabilitation Center staff at (414) 431- 6137, for further advice. "

 

[Adrianna]

Ok I found the time, I can't seem to help myself

http://www.wihumane.org/wildlife/index.html#babybird

 

[preshi]

Hey Jingle re read my post I posted some better info from the hospital I work at...

If it has feathers and it chirping to a bird in a tree leave it alone...

 

[Jingle]

Thank you Preshi. I'm so glad I didn't touch it. The baby bird, that I thought couldn't move, is now sitting behind a row of bushes right up against the house, under the overhang. I'll be keeping watch to see what happens.

 

[Adrianna]

Keep us posted on what happens

I once missed a wedding reception, b/c I was walking toward the door to the Hall and saw a hurt pigeon in the road, poor thing couldn't move and would have gotten run over. I swept him up without even thinking about it, and drug my husband with me, put it in the car and drove about 45 minutes to the local wildlife shelter. It ended up being nursed to health and released back into the wild. I actually volunteered at that place for a few months, and loved it. I was feeding baby deer, giving squirrels shots and picking up very not happy Canada Geese. It was great!