What to Do When You Spot a Baby Bird Outside Its Nest

When you’re working or spending time in your yard, take note of the location of any birds’ nests in and around your garden. “When you know where birds are nesting, you can work mindfully around these areas during yard maintenance and give nesting birds the space they need during the sensitive breeding season,” says Ben Haywood, director of community science at the National Audubon Society. “This prevents accidental disturbances that could harm young birds.”

At times, you may find a baby bird outside its nest. While your natural inclination may be to rescue a baby bird you find on the ground, that’s not always necessary or recommended by wildlife experts.

Before you intervene, assess the situation. “The key is distinguishing between a bird in genuine distress and one experiencing normal development,” says Haywood. “A nestling that’s mostly naked with closed eyes on the ground definitely needs help. These birds are too young to be outside the nest and cannot survive on their own.”

You also may find a full-feathered fledgling hopping around on the ground with alert behavior. In this case, the bird is likely going through the natural fledgling process as it’s learning to fly. “If you observe parent birds visiting and feeding the young bird, that’s a clear sign nature is taking its course as intended,” says Haywood. “While our instinct is to help, sometimes the best assistance we can provide is to give fledglings the space to continue their natural development under their parents’ care.”

Here’s how to figure out whether or not you need to help a baby bird you find outside the nest:

When Do You Find Baby Birds Outside the Nest?

Spring and summer during nesting season is when you’ll find baby birds outside their nests. Nestlings may fall during severe weather events that damage nests, or occasionally when nests become overcrowded. Sometimes, nestlings accidentally tumble out during feeding time when jostling for position, says Haywood.

Fledglings (more mature babies with feathers and open eyes) often are seen on the ground during the natural period when they’re learning to fly. “This awkward stage is normal and doesn’t necessarily indicate distress because the parents are still actively caring for the babies during this time,” says Haywood.

Nestlings in the nest

What Should You Do If You Find a Baby Bird?

Here are the steps you should take if you find a baby bird outside the nest or on the ground, according to Haywood and the National Audubon Society:

• Keep pets and children away from the area so you can assess the situation.
• Observe from a distance. Take a moment to see if the bird is a nestling (mostly featherless with closed eyes) or a fledging (feathered and alert). This determines whether the bird needs your help or if it’s simply going through a normal developmental stage that requires no assistance beyond ensuring its immediate safety from predators, says Haywood.
• If it’s a nestling, gently place it back into its nest, if you can find it. Fledglings should not be placed back in the nest; they’ll only hop out again anyhow.
• Look for injuries, such as bleeding, wing droop, or the inability to stand, or if the baby is showing signs of lethargy, there’s been no parental care for several hours, or you can’t locate the nest. These are all reasons you need to help a baby bird, and you should seek professional care.
• Contact a wildlife rehabilitator. Locate one through your state’s wildlife agency website (find yours here), the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, or local Audubon Society chapters. Veterinary clinics often maintain lists of local rehabilitators, too.

what to do if you find a baby bird

Is It Okay to Touch a Baby Bird?

We’ve all heard the widely circulated belief that if you touch a baby bird, the mother will abandon it. Fortunately, this is not the case. “Birds have a relatively poor sense of smell and won’t abandon their young simply because a human has touched them,” says Haywood. “Parent birds are strongly bonded to their offspring, and their instinct to care for their young overrides any temporary human disturbance.”

That means you can and should intervene when necessary. “If you need to handle a baby bird to return it to its nest or move it from immediate danger, you can do so without fear of abandonment,” says Haywood. “The real risk comes not from human scent but from excessive handling or removing a healthy fledgling that parents are still actively caring for,” says Haywood.

That being said, you should only handle baby birds if absolutely necessary. Teach your children these rules, too.

what to do if you find a baby bird

How Can I Keep Baby Birds Safe?

Here are a few other ways to protect the baby birds in your garden:

• Keep cats indoors during nesting season to reduce their predation on baby birds.
• Use reflective decals on windows to prevent bird collisions, a common cause of injury for birds learning to fly and navigate.
• Check near nests before mowing or doing lawn maintenance. Move babies if they are in immediate danger.