Found a baby bird?
The first thing with any injured or young creature is to assess its need
Does the baby bird need to be helped in the first place? If the baby bird has an injury or if it has been attacked then it needs help.
A bird that has been attacked by a cat for example might not have visible injuries, but it most probably still needs help. All it takes is one scratch or small puncture wound and infection will most likely kill a bird.
Is the baby bird fully feathered and sitting in a fairly hidden place? If yes, observe it from a distance.
Are the parents tending to the baby bird? If yes, it is probably OK. It is normal for fledglings to spend some time outside of the nest even though they are not quite ready to do their own thing yet. If you are worried, observe it from a distance.
Is the baby bird moving like a healthy, happy creature? Does it look old enough to be out on its own? Does it have a full coat of feathers? If yes, it is probably OK. If you are worried, observe it from a distance.
When to contact a rescue centre?
Is the baby bird sitting out in the open, not moving, not being tended to by parents, laying flat or appearing lethargic, or being pestered by corvids and/or flies? If yes, it needs help - secure the bird and contact a local rescue centre.
Does the baby bird look injured? Are there any open wounds? If yes, it needs help - secure the bird and contact a local rescue centre.
Is the baby bird featherless or only partially feathered, are its eyes still shut and is it on the ground? If yes, it needs help - secure the bird and contact a local rescue centre.
Caring for a baby bird
A baby bird should be placed in a covered container with air holes and soft, dry bedding and kept indoors in a warm, quiet and safe place until you can get it to a rescue centre.
Baby birds should be picked up carefully and handling should be kept to an absolute minimum.
When you first pick up a baby bird, check its temperature – is it cold to the touch? If yes, it needs to be warmed up. To do this, place a hot water bottle, heat mat or jam jar half-filled with hot water next to, not under, the bird. Make sure the water is not so hot that it will burn the bird, and ensure there is enough space in the container so that the bird can move away from the heat source if it gets too warm.
Do not force a baby bird to drink water - baby birds get their water through the food they are given.
Remember, wild animals stress if you stroke, fuss or even talk to them.
Predators and flies
As a predator, we are the slowest that any animal will encounter. If a baby bird is unable to escape our efforts to catch it, it is not going to be able to escape a hungry and fast predator like a fox, dog or cat.
Flies will lay eggs on any animal that is unwell and laying or sitting out in the open. There does not need to be a wound. Fly eggs hatch into maggots, and maggots cause pain and suffering. No animal deserves to be eaten alive by maggots.
