Fledglings

Fledgling birds are babies that have fully developed feathers (or nearly so) and are at a stage of development where they are just learning to fly. These birds are often seen sitting on the ground below a tree or hopping around on the ground and in the lower branches of trees and bushes. People often assume that because these fledglings cannot fly that they are injured, when in fact they are exhibiting normal behavior.

Unless the bird is obviously injured or sick, it should be left alone if possible. Take time to assess the situation by observing the bird from as far away as possible to make sure that the parents are around. Often, if you take a moment to look and listen, you will realize that the adult bird flitting around and yelling at you is in fact the parent trying to chase you away from her baby. Some parent birds will even go so far as to dive bomb you. Some birds, such as great horned owls, can get very aggressive when protecting their young.

The best thing that you can do for these young birds is to protect them from disturbance while they develop their skills. Make an effort to keep dogs, cats, and curious children away. If there are cats or dogs in the area that you cannot control, you can pick up the young bird from the ground and place it high in a bush or on a tree branch. If you know where the nest is, you can also try and place the baby back in it (if you handle a baby bird, the parents will not reject it). The fledgling may quickly end up back on the ground again, but there is not much you can do about this. The whole process is necessary for normal development. Wildlife rehabilitators cannot take in every baby bird or mammal just because a cat or dog might catch it. The only thing we can do is advocate responsible pet ownership.