So, you look down and there it is, a baby bird is out of her nest. What do you do?
A common belief is that the touch of a human to a baby bird is harmful and that the parents won’t recognize their young after human contact. This is, in fact, a myth. Birds don’t use scent to recognize their young.
So what to do about baby birds?
First determine if the chick is a nestling or a fledgling. A fledgling will be able to hop or walk. It will also likely to be feathered. If the chick doesn’t have the ability to walk or hop and is featherless chances are you have a nestling and the nest is close by but could be hidden.
If you are dealing with a nestling, try locating the nest. Nestlings can’t travel too far from their nest on their own so the nest should be nearby. After you have located the nest you can carefully return the nestling. Be mindful some momma and poppa birds do not like visitors!
After determining whether you have a nestling or fledgling, you can make the decision to move the chick away from harmful areas such as roads, sidewalks, and stores. This may give the chick a better chance at survival.