Advice: - If You Find Fledgling Birds, Leave Them Alone!

The last week, I have read numerous posts asking for advice on baby birds - Fledglings!

I'm aware that members who are posting the questions are somewhat inexperienced and are seeking help from more experienced birders.

But I personally have been somewhat alarmed about somethings I have read!

Spring and Summer months are when most birds breed, so there will be many fledglings that appear in the most peculiar of places.

It is a human instinct to assist a fluffy baby bird that looks abandoned, young blackbirds regularly depart before being able to fly, though they are capable of hiding themselves from predators quite effectively as are most fledglings.

You also have to remember Mother Nature in all her beauty can be sometimes very cruel!

Predators hunt for prey!

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.

The following is the RSPB's advice for fledglings.

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.

Baby birds in your garden?

It can be tempting to try to ‘rescue’ a baby bird apparently in trouble. Here are some things to remember:

  • The adult birds are much more skilled at looking after their offspring than humans will ever be!
  • It’s very likely that the bird’s parents are nearby, waiting for you to leave the area
  • If the bird is in a very vulnerable position (for example, in the middle of the pavement), it’s OK to move it somewhere safe nearby – perhaps from off the ground into a bush or tree where cats won’t see it
  • Watch from a safe distance to see what happens. If it really has been abandoned, contact our Wildlife Enquiries team for advice, but as the conservation organisation, the RSPB is not able to offer a rescue service. Tel: 01767 693690, 8.30 am to 5 pm Monday-Friday; answerphone only at other times
  • Try to avoid interference wherever possible. It really is best to leave baby birds alone.  

 The RSPB does not run bird hospitals or a rescue service.

Regards Buzzard

  • Should i take this one in at night or no, as there is no cats around? Do you know when it will be able to fly away?
  • Hi I would nt be taking it in or even touching it,if its still there and not dead then its eating and just hanging around until the time comes to move up and over your fence maybe....lol.....Is it flying a little during the day or is it still in the same place?.The very fact that its still there and alive tells me its feeling safe and being fed so as long as its got loads of feathers and they grow quickly anyway...we have birds so I see this...it should be ok for a while ...good luck and please keep me up to date eh....sadly as usual nobody else seems to want to advise.....either way.....good luck.
  • This magpie fledgling in my garden is now getting up trees and standing on them and seems better at flying, i fed it for about 4 days now, and the parents haven't seem to bother with it. Has it met the requirements to live on its own and fly away? Or should I carrying on feeding it? 

  • Good morning seagreenspiral........if the babe is flying now then its deff on the up.....as for should you keep feeding it......if you think about it we all are feeding birds now so I wouldnt change anything at all.
    If it wants to eat what your putting out then it will and thats great.......if its still around and fending for itself then youve filled the gap for the parents.my thoughts are great and well done.

    The sad thing about this site is...... moderator or admin wont like what I have said again.... 10 yrs ago to this very week I went to great lengths to contact the RSPB and joined here to ask for help / advice like you have and nobody actually did that at all.

    The sad thing was I opened up a huge chat following for Lucky and most members  who actually understood what and why I did what I did was very nice and happy to read and follow Lucky progress to a full wild release .I put on some fab little vids of feeding time,playing time that he did himself in the open fruit cage which is where we based him.he fed himself and flew off daily and it was lovely....

    The sad and disappointing thing was the most snr members.ie admin etc deemed it totally wrong with what I did and eventually locked the thread which was lovely,I made lots of friends here who after reading the full story was happy with what I did.

    I was surprised to get a notification last week  10 years after Luckys release which was the thread about NOT rescuing birds,chicks etc. bumped..  

    The whole chat,link and vids and snaps are no longer on this site......which is why I left the group.My advice will always be the same....if a chick is in danger like our 4 were.then down to one.then if there is a chance of saving it I would do it all over again in a heart beat.

    Well done for caring and dont touch it,carry on with the feeding of all birds because they will come to you if they want....