In the third grade, my teacher plant what she thought was an abased baby bird on the school grounds. She asked if someone in the form would care for it, and days after, the European Starling I named Bluego (for a reason I wish I remembered) was living in a cardboard box in my bedchamber, padded with fake web left over from Halloween. As a child, I was thrilled to be on my way toward condign a wildlife rescuer, merely years later I wondered if it was the right thing to do.

As I've learned, information technology probably wasn't. Like the vast majority of baby birds that people encounter, Bluego was a weeks-sometime fledgling—not a newly built-in nestling. And this distinction is critical, wildlife rehabbers say, considering most fledglings don't need to be rescued. "Eighty per centum of baby birds that come up in take basically just been kidnapped," says Melanie Furr, educational activity director at the Atlanta Audubon Society and a licensed volunteer at Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Endeavour. "They need to be taken dorsum."

Wandering from the nest is exactly what fledglings—which are just learning to fly—are supposed to do, she says. It's a normal office of a bird'southward development, and though these chicks might appear abandoned, they're probable under surveillance by their parents nearby. Of course, there is a risk that they could be injured, sick, or in danger, and so at that place are some cases where a fledgling might require help.

Nestlings, on the other hand, are about always in need of rescue. Whether they roughshod or got pushed from their nest, they're " not ready to go off into the world," s ays Rita McMahon, Co-Founder and Director of the Wild Bird Fund, a nonprofit animate being rehab center in New York . How to assistance them, though, tin can vary.

To know when you should arbitrate—and how you tin assistance if needed—ask yourself the questions below.

Is the bird a nestling or fledgling?

When you encounter a rogue baby, offset determine its age, McMahon says.And in that location'due south one obvious sign: feathers. While fledglings are larger and covered nigh completely in downwards and feathers, nestlings are minor and typically naked—or with just a few fluffs. In other words, 1 looks like an awkward young bird, and the other kind of looks like a pinkish little alien. You lot can also distinguish age by movement: fledglings tin can hop, whereas nestlings might just elevate themselves on the ground by their bare wings.

If y'all've establish ahealthy fledgling:  "Walk abroad from the bird," McMahon says. Rescuing salubrious fledglings is not only unnecessary, but information technology tin be detrimental to their development. When raised by mitt, she says, babies might confuse humans as their parents (not unlike the geese in the motion-picture show Fly Away Home). If that happens,"they don't know how to be a bird," McMahon says.

American Robin nestlings. Tom Warren/Audubon Photography Awards

If you've institute a nestling: Help. Kickoff, await for the babe'southward nest in the nearby bushes or trees; if you find information technology, only put the chick back and the parents will resume intendance. And don't worry about touching the bird: The thought that in one case you've touched a baby bird information technology will be rejected is not truthful, says Susan Elbin, manager of conservation and scientific discipline at New York City Audubon."Birds have a sense of smell, but it'south not very well developed," Elbin says. "They're non going to abandon their chick."

If the nest is nowhere to exist institute or but out of accomplish, just craft one yourself, Furr says. Find a small container, similar a strawberry basket, and load it with a scrap of T-shirt or some harbinger—anything dry will do. Gently place the youngling inside, and affix the artificial nest in a tree close to where the bird was found. "You want to get information technology every bit high up equally possible," Furr says.

One time yous've returned the bird to a nest—whether real or homemade—keep an heart out for the parents. If they don't return within an hour,call a wildlife rehabilitation center.

Is the bird sick, wounded, or at risk?

Whether you lot come up across a fledgling or nestling, information technology's of import to appraise whether the bird needs medical help or is in danger.

Oft, it's clear when the bird is in need of urgent care—if the cat dragged it in, that'southward a sure sign. Other times the signals are more subtle: Though it's a fledgling, information technology can't stand up or hop normally. The feathers might exist wet though it's not raining, indicating discharge or an illness that inhibits the production of preening oils. Or perhaps it'southward surrounded by flies, which might indicate an open wound.

During hot summertime months, dehydration is too common, McMahon says. "Their belly is like a clip, wrinkled, shriveled and suck in," she says.

If yous recollect you've establish a ill or wounded fledgling or nestling, call a rehabber, land wildlife bureau, or veterinary immediately. If it's after hours, take the infant to a safe and warm location, Furr says, such as a closed box with air holes and a heating pad below it. And even if your parental instincts kick in, don't feed the baby, she says.

"People have proficient intentions and call up the baby bird is going to starve," Furr says. "But a lot of times it ends upwardly doing more impairment than good."

At Atlanta Wild Creature Rescue Effort, she's seen babies with food in their lungs from improper feeding. But if the chick is just kept in a dark identify, its metabolism volition boring downward, she says, leaving plenty of time for professional rehabbers to swoop in for a rescue.

You might as well come across a fledgling or nestling that's not injured, but at risk—such as from a prowling true cat or human feet. Here'due south an easy fix: "Put it in a bush," Elbin says. In other words, hibernate the chick or put it in a place that's out of attain or out of the way.

And afterward all this, if you're all the same not sure if the bird needs help or what to do, before doing annihilation, call your local wild animals rehabilitation center. Helping animals—and preventing fledgling kidnappings—is what they practice.

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