Found an injured bird?
With lots of different wildlife organisations out there it can be confusing to know who to contact. We have created the following information to guide you.
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Ask an RSPB expert: your July questions answered
This month our expert, India James, answers some of your top questions on nesting and fledglings.
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How can I help nesting Swallows and House Martins in hot weather?
Hot, dry weather can cause problems for nesting House Martins and Swallows, which both build cup-shaped nests out of mud. House Martins typically build their nests on outer walls of buildings high up under the eaves, whereas Swallows prefer to nest inside of outbuildings, such as garages and barns. These nests can sadly break and fall in hot temperatures.
Creating a muddy pool or puddle in the garden is a nice simple thing that you can do to help these birds. This can help them to collect mud for nesting material, which they can use to build or repair their nests.
If the weather becomes very hot and you have Swallows nesting inside your building, we recommend placing an old carpet or blanket on the outside of the roof above the nest and soaking it regularly with water. Just a couple of buckets on this fabric can help keep the temperature down inside the building for the Swallows.
Sometimes Swallow and House Martin nests can sadly break and fall with young still inside. If this happens, we would recommend contacting a local wildlife rescuer. You can find contact details for local rescuers via Help Wildlife. House Martin Conservation UK & Ireland also have a list of local rescue contacts.
I’ve found a baby bird on the ground – what should I do?
It can be normal to find feathered flightless birds on the ground at this time of year. If the bird has feathers, it will likely be a fledgling. After leaving the nest, fledglings can be on the ground for a few days whilst their feathers fully develop.
During this time, the parents will still be around looking after them. Even if you don’t see the parents at first, it could be that they are away collecting food or disturbed by your presence, so it’s best to come away from the area and keep an eye from a distance.
If the bird is in immediate danger, it can be moved to a sheltered site nearby, such as under a hedge. However please make sure it is within hearing distance of the parents so that they can find it.
As fledglings are particularly vulnerable, please keep pets away from young birds on the ground until they are able to fly. One way you can do this is to keep dogs on leads when out in the garden. Cat owners can also use bell collars and keep them in overnight to reduce predation.
If the young bird looks to be injured, then we advise contacting a local wildlife rescuer via Help Wildlife or an animal welfare organisation. For further advice, please see our page on what to do if you find an injured bird (link in box below).
What bird is this juvenile?
Juvenile birds sometimes cause a lot of confusion. If you’re not sure on the species, it can help to keep an eye out from a distance to see if any adult birds are with them which will be easier to recognise. If you can’t see any adults about, here are some helpful descriptions of some of the garden birds that we’re often asked questions about.
One species that can look a bit unusual as a juvenile is the Robin, as they don’t have the red breast at first. Instead, Robins start off with brown plumage that is finely spotted all over. Another thing to look out for is their light-brown wing-bar, which is quite obvious on juveniles.
Juvenile Blackbirds are also a warm brown, with speckling on both their upperparts and underparts. As male Blackbirds develop, they can look especially strange, as they transition between their juvenile plumage, which is brown in colour and their adult plumage which, will be black. This process doesn’t happen suddenly and usually the head feathers are the last to be replaced, resulting in a black body and brown head. People sometimes contact us confusing these birds for Brown-headed Cowbirds, which is a species native to North America.
Starlings are another species that look quite different as juveniles. Juvenile Starlings have grey-brown plumage and pale throats when they fledge. They then go through a post-juvenile moult between summer and winter. As they develop, young Starlings acquire a dark, spotted body but sometimes retain their grey-brown head over the winter.
Meet the expert: India James
I have had the pleasure of working in the Wildlife Enquiries Team for over five years. I’m happiest when I’m out exploring and talking about nature. In my free time, I love going for long walks and trying to identify the wildlife I come across, visiting nature reserves or reading a good book in the garden.
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