How should I rescue a baby bird, including when it's wet?

Try calling animal control, the local Humane Society, or the SPCA. Depending on where you live, there may be a network of bird rehabilitation specialists who care for abandoned, sick, or injured birds with the ultimate goal of releasing them back to the wild.

When I lived in New York City I found an injured juvenile robin in a city park. I called the local animal control hotline, and they gave me the address of a website that listed about a dozen local citizens who rehabilitated birds in their homes. I brought the bird to one such specialist. Sadly, the bird was too sick to rehabilitate, but I called the same specialist about a year later and brought her a different bird, which she was able to successfully rehabilitate and release to the wild.

posted over 6 years ago

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LShaver‭

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This answer will focus on the generalities of common American backyard songbirds, because I haven't had experience with any other type of bird.

Rescuing a baby bird is a great thing! There are plenty of songbirds whose parents are fine if you touch their babies, which is good to know when rescuing.

You did exactly the right thing in the right order. Young birds are especially susceptible to body temperature changes, so drying in the sun and protecting in the shade was perfect!

Also, leaving it near to where you found it was very important. If it was fully formed but didn't have a lot of feathers, it was probably a nestling, who either fell out of the nest or was pushed out by another bird or predator. It's mainly helpless but a parent will usually look for it.

If it had feathers and wings, but was unable to fly, it was probably a fledgling. They're ready to leave the nest (fledge), but need to learn life skills, like eating and flying. Depending on the breed, a parent will spend up to two weeks out of the nest teaching it. That parent will go quite far to find a separated one, like yours. Sometimes what we think is an orphan or lost bird is actually under the watchful eye of a nearby parent.

At our last house we had a pool, and we found young birds in there way too often. Some say those birds aren't falling, they're going in purposely because they see their reflection in the water and think they're about to meet up with another bird!

My husband would gently scoop it out either with his hands or a pool net. We'd sit on the ground with it, get a paper towel and gently pat it down until its feathers started to fluff up. If it was tipping over, we kept it on the ground between our feet, up against a lawn chair, or in a bed of paper towels while it got its bearings. Once dry, if it still couldn't stand, we'd prop it up gently under a tree with a cutout cardboard tent. It gave shade and protection, but left room open in case it was able to fly out, or a parent came to get it. Sometimes once they were dry and got over the shock, they would fly a little bit at a time, and finally over our fence and away!

Sadly, sometimes they would pass away, and I would cry, but know we had done our best. Sometimes my husband would find one already deceased in the water and never even tell me about it because it made me too sad!

I'm really glad your bird was re-claimed by its parents! Thanks for caring!

Here are some helpful links:

Baby Birds Out of The Nest

I found a baby bird-what do I do?

What if you find a baby bird on the ground?

Difference between Fledgling and Hatchling

When you should, and should not, rescue baby birds

posted over 6 years ago

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Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL‭

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