Advice

Sick, injured and baby birds

Baby birds

Juvenile robin on birdtable

It's common in spring and summer to find young birds sitting on the ground or hopping about without any sign of their parents.

This is perfectly normal, so there's no need to be worried. The parents are probably just away collecting food - or are hidden from view nearby, keeping a watchful eye.

'Fledglings should be left where they are, in the care of their parents.'

The young of most familiar garden birds fledge once they are fully feathered, but before they're able to fly, they spend a day or two on the ground while their feathers finish developing.

Tawny owl chicks are mobile at a very early age, and can be seen climbing in and around their nest tree before they are even half grown.

If you find a fledgling or young owl, the best thing to do is to leave it where it is. 

What if the bird is in danger?

Fledglings should be left where they are, in the care of their parents. Removal of a fledgling from the wild will cut its chances of long-term survival to a small fraction, and should only be done as a very last resort. 

If the bird is on a busy path or road or other potentially dangerous, exposed location, it makes sense to pick it up and move it a short distance to a safer place. Make sure you put it down within hearing reach of where it was found so its parents can find it.

Handling a young bird does not cause its parents to abandon it. Birds have a poor sense of smell and do not respond to human smell in the same way as mammals.

Can I put it back in its nest?

If the young bird is unfeathered or covered in fluffy down (a nestling) and has obviously fallen out of a nest by accident, it may be possible to put it back.

If this can't be done, the chick is dependent on humans for survival, and it should be passed on to an expert rehabilitator, such as a local vet.

The RSPB does not run bird hospitals or a rescue service. The RSPCA (England and Wales), SSPCA (Scotland) and USPCA (Northern Ireland) are the national charities that help and advise on sick and injured birds and animals. Tiggywinkles and The Swan Sanctuary also take in wild birds in need of care.

Last modified: 12 November 2009

Bird guide