Charities offer advice on help for baby birds
PEAK SEASON FOR CALLS – OFTEN BEST TO DO NOTHING
THE RSPCA is offering advice on what to do with baby birds outside the nest.
The charity said last year there were 13,468 hits on its baby bird advice webpage in May, rising to a 17,397 in June.
It has also taken nearly 19,000 calls about baby birds from the public since the beginning of 2021 – 350 from Leicestershire and 24 from Rutland.
A spokesman said the general rules are:
■ Nestlings (no feathers) – Re-nest if possible: With few or no feathers, nestlings won’t survive long outside the nest.
■ Fledglings (have feathers) – Do not disturb. It is normal for fledglings to be on the ground as they may leave the nest before they can fly.
Parents are usually nearby and feeding the bird. If they may be injured, please take them to a vet.
RSPCA scientific officer Rebecca Machin said: “It’s wonderful so many people want to do the best for our wild birds, particularly if a baby bird has been found out of its nest.
“And it’s great that tens of thousands of people are following our online guidance on how to help rather than calling us – as this is usually the best and fastest way to help them.
“While in many cases, the advice will be that there’s no need to intervene, especially if the bird is a fledgling, it’s great to have so many people showing they are for every kind by looking out for these baby birds.
“But if action does need to be taken, then every time a wild animal is helped by the public it frees up our vital specialist rescuers to reach animals suffering heartbreaking cruelty and neglect, a job no other charity does.”
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) spokeswoman Emma Horton said: “Every year we get hundreds of calls from caring members of the public about baby birds out of the nest.
“But for most species of baby birds, providing they’re not sick or injured and are fully feathered, this is perfectly normal and it’s usually in their best interest to leave them be.
“This flightless period is a natural part of the bird’s development.
“Parents invest heavily in their young and it is very rare for them to abandon fledglings.
“Usually parents are nearby and may even be waiting for people to leave before they feel safe to come back with the youngster’s next meal.
“Birds take far better care of their young than humans can, and taking baby birds into captivity unnecessarily can dramatically reduce their chances of long-term survival.”