How to Help a Baby Bird That Has Fallen from Its Nest

When you come across a baby bird that has fallen from its nest, your first instinct may be to help. However, many well-intentioned people inadvertently do more harm than good when trying to assist. Before taking action, it's important to determine whether the bird is a true baby or a fledgling, and to seek professional care if the bird appears injured or sick to ensure its health until it can fly.

Assess whether the bird is a chick or a fledgling. To provide the best assistance, you need to understand the bird's age and development stage.

• A chick that has fallen from the nest typically has very few feathers and/or just soft down, with its eyes either closed or barely open. These young birds are very dependent on their parents for care and should remain in the nest as long as possible.
• A fledgling is older, with more feathers covering its body. Fledglings are often encouraged, or even pushed out of the nest, by their parents. Once outside the nest, they will stay on the ground for two to five days to practice flapping their wings and hopping around. However, the parents continue to monitor them from a distance, providing care and nourishment until they learn to fly, find food, and protect themselves from predators.

Look for the Parent Birds and/or Nearby Nest. Another way to assess if the baby bird is in danger is to check for a nest in a nearby tree or if any adult birds are perched near the baby. You may notice the parent birds watching over the baby. If you find the nest or the parents nearby, and the bird is a fledgling, you can safely leave it alone.

• If you spot a nest near the baby bird, you can carefully pick it up and place it back in the nest. It’s commonly believed that human scent might cause the parents to abandon it, but it’s important that the parents continue to care for the bird after you return it to the nest.
• Monitor the fledgling for at least an hour to see if the parents are close by and if the bird interacts with them. You need to ensure the parents return to the nest to visit the baby and confirm it hasn’t been abandoned or left alone.

Look for Signs of Injury or Illness. You should inspect the bird for any visible injuries, such as broken legs, bleeding, or feather loss (if it’s a fledgling). The baby bird may also be trembling or softly chirping. You might also notice that one or both parents are dead nearby or within the nest, or there may be evidence of dogs or cats that could have attacked the bird.

• If you notice any signs of injury or illness, or if the parents have died or failed to return to the nest after two hours, you should create a temporary nest for the bird and take it to the nearest wildlife rescue center.

Avoid Interacting with a Fledged Bird If It’s Uninjured and Near the Nest. If the bird is a fledgling and shows no signs of injury or illness, it’s best to leave it to develop naturally on the ground. However, make sure to keep pets, like cats, away from the bird and monitor it to ensure it can hop to safety without encountering predators or dangers.

• You should not feed the fledgling, as birds have specific diets. Also, giving it water may pose a danger of choking.

Wear Gloves When Handling the Bird. Wearing gloves will help protect you from diseases, parasites, as well as the bird’s sharp beak and claws. It’s also recommended to wash your hands before and after handling the bird, even if you're wearing gloves.

Create a Hanging Nest for the Bird if the Parents Are Nearby but the Original Nest Is Destroyed. If you're certain that the original nest is destroyed but the parents are still nearby, you can create a simple hanging nest for the bird.

• Take a small basket or food container, puncture or cut a few holes, and line the bottom with tissue paper.
• Use tape to secure the newly made nest to a branch near the original nest, then place the bird inside. The parents will be able to find the new nest and the baby bird.

Create a Nest Using a Small Plastic Bowl and Tissue Paper if the Baby Bird Is Abandoned. Remember not to place the baby bird back in its original nest if it's injured and without parents, as the old nest could contain parasites that might weaken the bird. Instead, use a small plastic bowl or fruit tray to make a temporary nest for the bird. You should line the bottom of the bowl with unscented tissue paper to create a soft bedding.

• Avoid using wicker cages as the bars can harm the delicate feathers of the baby bird.
• If you don't have a plastic bowl, you can use a paper bag with ventilation holes as a temporary solution.

Place the Bird in the Nest and Cover It with Tissue Paper. Covering the bird with tissue paper will help keep it warm and protected while it is in the temporary nest.

• If the bird is trembling, you can warm it up by placing one end of a cardboard box on a low-heat radiator. Alternatively, you can place a hot water bottle near the bird, but make sure the bottle doesn’t touch the bird to prevent burns or leaking water that could make the bird colder.

Place the Bird's Nest in a Warm, Dark, and Quiet Area. After placing the bird in the plastic bowl lined with tissue, you can place the nest inside a cardboard box and cover the box. Put the box in an empty room or bathroom, away from children and pets.

• Sounds can stress the bird, so make sure to turn off all radios and TVs in the house. Try to limit contact with the baby bird to avoid causing further harm or illness. Be sure to keep the baby bird’s legs folded under its belly, not stretched out.

Do Not Feed the Bird. Every bird species has a specific diet, so it’s important to avoid making the bird sicker or weaker by feeding it inappropriate food. If the bird is injured, it will use all its energy to cope with the shock and heal, so you shouldn't force it to spend that energy on eating.

• Also, avoid giving the bird water, as doing so could risk it choking.

Wash Your Hands After Handling the Bird. After touching the bird, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly to avoid transferring any diseases or parasites.

• Don't forget to clean any items that came into contact with the bird, such as towels, blankets, or clothing.

Contact the Local Wildlife Rescue Center. Once you've set up a temporary nest for the injured or abandoned bird, it's crucial to reach out to a local wildlife rescue center. You can find the nearest one by contacting:

• National Wildlife Conservation Agencies
• Regional International Humane Organizations
• A local veterinarian specializing in wildlife care or endangered species
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (in the U.S.) or the Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Center (SVM)
• A directory of wildlife rescue centers

Describe the Condition of the Baby Bird. After you've contacted the wildlife rescue center, you'll need to provide them with the bird's symptoms and specify whether the bird is a nestling or fledgling. Be sure to include information on where the bird was found in the wild, as the rescue center might need this for its release back into its natural habitat.

Take the Baby Bird to the Wildlife Rescue Staff. It's essential to bring the bird and its temporary nest to the rescue center as quickly as possible so it can be treated and returned to the wild.

• While you may be tempted to keep the bird and care for it yourself or even keep it as a pet, remember that baby birds are wild animals. It is illegal to keep wild animals in captivity, and doing so could jeopardize the bird's life.