I found a baby bird! Now what?

Well, we’re making our way through spring migration and quickly into nesting season. Some of our early arrivers/permanent residents have already found nest sites and have had fledges. Most of our bluebird nest boxes have already had one clutch fledge – now we wait to see if the parents like the neighborhood enough to stay for another round.

Bluebirds growing up: 1. hatchling, 2. nestlings 3. slightly older nestlings  4. fledglings (Left to Right)

As you can see in the photo series, these birds go from nearly naked and completely helpless, to reasonable facsimiles of their parents in just a few weeks. Safe in their nest, they spend their time eating, sleeping, arguing with their siblings, and being protected by their parents. All of these things are critical to their survival- and ideally happen in the confines of the nest.

But what happens if they get out?! For whatever reason, sometimes nests aren’t as secure as the parents had hoped and the chicks get loose. What do you do if you find a chick?

What kind of chick is it?

Lots of birds- especially sandpipers (including Killdeer), ducks, and geese have chicks that are ready to rock and roll right soon after they crack open their egg. Owl chicks spend a while figuring out the right way to fly- often ending up on the ground. It’s important to sit back and observe the situation for some time before intervening. Driven by strong parental instincts, adults will continue caring for wayward chicks if they are out of the nest prematurely. If the chick is separated from the parent, it may be just a matter of time before they are reunited. Keep an eye out for any obvious threats to the chick- especially neighborhood dogs and cats.

Here's a great example of a couple of owl chicks trying to get their wings to work. 

How old is this chick?

Important to get an idea of what aged chick your are dealing with to determine the type of response that’s needed. Is it little, barely covered in feathers, and not really moving very well on it’s own? It’s a hatchling or a nestling- maybe just a few hours or days old. Somewhere between picture 1 and 3 above? Try to find the nest and place the baby back in it. Don’t worry about touching it with your hands briefly- the parents are more interested in their baby than your smell. If you can’t find the nest, or the nest is out of reach, you might need to make a nest for it out of a little basket lined with tissue paper. Try to suspend the new nest from a tree branch or place it in a secure, but available place, close to where you found the nestling. The parents won’t come back to it immediately, but should return in a few hours.

Is it covered in feathers more than just fluffy down? Any color coming in? Is it trying to fly, but isn’t very good? You may have an ambitious fledgling that’s just trying out it’s wings a little early. If you feel like the bird is in danger, you can move it to a nearby bush or safe area close to where you found it. Putting it back in the nest is going to be a exercise in futility, since it has already taken the leap once.

Here’s a quick schedule of songbird development

Hatchling
Days 0-3: Mostly naked with a little natal down on body, eyes closed

Nestling
Day 3: Eyes open
Day 4: Primary feathers (also called pin feathers) pierce skin (look like tubes sticking out of the skin)
Day 6: Nestling responds to alarm call of parent
Day 7: Primary feathers begin to unsheath
Day 10: Bird is active and alert in the nest, stretches wings and legs

Fledgling
Days 13-14: Can flutter and hop from branch to branch, fully feathered, but has short tail and wings, leaves the nest.
Days 14-28: They do not return to the nest, but are still fed by the adults in nearby trees or on the ground if the young have not yet mastered flying. They might even be at your feeder!

It’s important to intervene only when absolutely necessary. Birds have been going through these same dangerous and high risk times for ages- they really do know how to survive! If you feel like the baby bird is in significant danger, or appears badly injured, you’ll need to call a local licensed and trained wildlife rehabber. Fortunately, we have just the group for the job: Urban Interface Wildlife Rescue ( http://www.theurbaninterface.com/ ). We’ve called these guys a couple of times and they’ve got the routine figured out! Great to work with! Their full contact:

Phone:          979-255-3064
Email:            rescue@theurbaninterface.com
Address:       P.O Box 5971
                       Bryan TX, 77805

Since I didn't have too many pictures for this one, I've added a clip from the PBS Nature program "An Original DUCKumentary" of Wood Ducks making their way out of the nest. What a leap!

And if you can't get enough of watching these little guys, you're in luck! Technology has really let anyone and everyone with an internet connection peer into the private lives of birds on the nest. There are lots and lots of Nestcams that stream their content over the web for free! I remember getting hooked on a Barn Owl nestcam from California a few years ago. Here's a few links: Audubon Dakota Peregrine Cam Cornell's Big List of Cams Decorah Eagles UStream Allen's Hummingbird UStream Osprey Nestcam in Montana