You found a baby bird on the ground…now what? 

This is a common occurrence asked by hundreds of people who call into DCHS’s Wildlife Center for advice each year. “There is a baby bird in my yard and it can’t fly,” one person might say, or “This bird is hopping around in the grass, but I haven’t seen a parent anywhere nearby,” states another. Their concern is always warranted, being empathetic and caring individuals. However, rescue and intervention of a wild animal by humans is not always the right solution.

Every species is different in their natural history, behaviors, and tendencies, along with varying level(s) of parental input, developmental rates, and minimum age necessary for an animal to become independent. To help guide any wildlife rescue decision, rehabilitators either have to amass years of specialized training or field experience related to the species in question, or they must have access to verifiable, often academic, resources to help inform them best about the species. 

One of our favorite resources comes from the Birds of the World website hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. They worked hard to compile relevant avian research from peer-reviewed sources into a searchable online database, where all those who have an account can use it. Many avian rehabilitators use this database to learn more about each bird species, as it compiles information about natural food sources, feeding and diets, migration patterns, habitat use, breeding behavior, and so much more. This database does not offer “how-to” instructions needed for avian rehabilitation, nor does it substitute for years of experience in treating sick or injured wild birds as a licensed individual, but it’s a useful tool to augment wildlife rehabilitation practices.

From the Birds of the World database, one can find specific information such as how long hatchling birds are in the nest, if one or both (adult) parents provide care, when they typically fledge, and at what point in time they are likely to become independent. For example, the American Robin is a common bird species that breeds in Wisconsin and has two sections in Birds of the World titled “Parental Care” and “Fledgling Stage” that outline the following:

1. Female (mom) robins brood (or sit) on the babies for the first few days of life to keep them warm, up until they can thermoregulate (or maintain their own body temperature)
    
2. Mom typically stops brooding (or sitting) on the babies overnight after the first week
    
3. Mom and dad both feed the babies, starting with regurgitated food during the first four days and then moving to natural insects and plant material 
    
4. Mom and dad feed their babies at a rate six to seven times per hour, or 35 to 40 feeding per day. Fun fact: this is equivalent to 200 grams of food or 1.45 kilograms of material in about two weeks!
    
5. Robins fledge the nest approximately 13 days after hatching (range of nine to 16 days)
    

6. Fledgling robins are incapable of powered flight for 10 to 15 days after leaving the nest. They are on the ground, followed around by their parents, as they continue to supplement food

    

7. Fledgling robins are considered independent after they are approximately four weeks old.

Using the American Robin again as our prime example, as it’s one of the most common species admitted to DCHS’s Wildlife Center each year, it could be easy to think that a fledgling on the ground needs help. From the timeline described above, a 10-day-old bird might fledge the nest and would not be able to fly for another two weeks. However, this is a natural part of their development and is vital to their success. A few questions come to mind, however. Why would a species want to do this? Why would it benefit a bird to be at risk on the ground that early in life? How is this advantageous? Well, from what we’ve come to learn about this species’ evolution and survival, it’s key to their success:

1. American Robins eat primarily insects, foraging on the ground for arthropods and worms.
   • Favorite non-worm foods include lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) and odanates (dragonflies and winged predatory insects)
   • Earthworms are preferred early in the morning or later in the afternoon
      
2. American Robins sit, watch (or listen), wait… and then pounce on their food, probing with their bills until successful. Or, they run after their food, and they glean small insects off of leaves.
    
3. Adult American Robins are twice as good at capturing insects than juveniles (50% better)

   • Juveniles need very moist soils to be effective at worm capture

      

4. Juvenile robins may learn better from adults or known to be better at catching insects while they are in large groups together foraging.

Basically, American Robins need to learn how to forage on the ground from adults of their same species in order to survive. The sooner they can learn that, the better. Adults will be around to teach them, protect them, and show them where to forage. Yes, there are risks from predators attacking, chance of injury after leaving the nest, and potential for starvation (if conditions aren’t right). However, these are risks that every bird takes when making a nest, hatching babies, and raising their young. Humans aren’t the best substitute, so taking a fledgling away from their environment just to protect them from the unknown (or risk of getting hurt) isn’t better for them – it’s taking away their chance at having the most normal upbringing possible with their parents and adults of their own species being present. Hence the statement shared frequently by the Wisconsin DNR – “If you care, leave them there” – when referencing any healthy fledgling bird on the ground in the midst of their development.

American Robins are also known as an r-selected species, or a species of shorter life span and higher fecundity, producing more eggs in a clutch. It means that they have evolved to have greater young at one time, sometimes having more than one brood in a year, to increase the potential that some of their offspring will survive. On average, research suggests that an adult breeding American Robin could hatch up to four to twelve babies per year, have an average lifespan of two or more years in the wild, and live up to 13 years old, which is the oldest recorded wild banding record for their species. In contrast, a species like the Sandhill Crane is considered a k-selected species. They may hatch and raise only one chick per year. Their young fledge at seven weeks after hatching and stay with their parents through the fall migration. Juvenile Sandhill Cranes are not considered truly independent until the next spring migration! Adult Sandhill Cranes average seven years of life and are known to reach over 40 years old in the wild. Sandhill Cranes put significantly more time and effort into the development of a single chick that will live longer versus the American Robin; whereas robins find greater advantage in producing more babies, they experience a tradeoff with a higher mortality risk. Again, much of this information comes from Birds of the World – a tremendous wealth of information and knowledge compiled in one place.

Details from each species’ accounts are written in a way that’s easy to read and understand and can be validated in practice. At DCHS, wildlife rehabilitators have used this information to help inform their decisions when developing best-practice avian hand-rearing techniques, for instance, what types of food to give birds and how often, when to graduate birds from incubators to outdoor enclosures, and at what minimum age birds could be released. However, there are many other aspects that go into wildlife rehabilitation for the process to be successful, and other excellent training materials and resources used, which is why it’s crucial that animals like this are cared for by a permitted facility or licensed individual.

With time and practice, wildlife rehabilitators gain expertise about species they are licensed to work with – then, they can use their knowledge to teach the public about what may or may not be a normal situation. DCHS’s Wildlife Center is available between 9:00 am-5:00 pm daily to consult with finders, typically through phone call or text, ahead of any animal being admitted. Anyone who finds a sick, injured, or potentially orphaned wild animal is encouraged to call the closest (distance), locally licensed wildlife rehabilitation center in their state, whether that’s DCHS or not, for advice before they intervene to rescue a wild animal. Additional resources can be found on our website or the DNR website.

American Robins are just one species highlighted here in this article. Below are a few more species-specific facts about other birds that may help inform the public about their fledging periods.

Mourning Doves

• Create a simple, platform nest – sometimes up high, sometimes on the ground (it varies)
• Known to nest in urban areas – on roof tops, in flower planters, and in trees or shrubs
• Both parents feed babies regurgitated food (processed in their crop)
• Typically fledge to the ground 13 to 15 days after hatching and weigh about 80 grams
• Parents stop feeding at about 30 days after hatching

House Finch

• Create a cup shaped nest – sometimes up high, sometimes mid-level (about 15 feet up)
• Known to nest in urban areas – in trees or shrubs, on house decorations, on structures
• Both parents feed the babies, starting with regurgitation and moving to seeds
• Typically fledge to the ground 12 days after hatching, staying near the nest for 1-2 days
• Fledglings can only fly short distances and will follow adults 4-5 days after being on the ground
• Juveniles are weaned about 2-3 weeks after fledging but stay flocked up to 3 months later

Barn Swallow

• Create a cup shaped nest of mud and grass – under bridges, overpasses, barns, or roofs
• Both parents feed the babies, catching and offering insects 21 to 38 times per hour (!)
• Nine to 12 days after hatching, baby barn swallows display fear and the “scoot back” behavior
• Fledglings leave the nest 18 to 20 days after hatching, flying straight to a perch site
  • Key take-away: swallows aren’t on the ground after fledging the nest
• Parents are known to lead young back to the nest to sleep for up to several days after fledging
• Juveniles are weaned less than 1 week after fledging and fully independent 2 weeks after

When is rescue or intervention usually recommended?

1. If the animal is visibly injured (shows signs of a fracture, bleeding, wound, etc.)
2. If the animal was seen in the mouth of a predator (wild animal, domestic dog, outdoor cat, etc.)
3. If the animal was seen hit by a moving object (car, bike, yard equipment)
4. If the animal was trapped and unable to eat/drink normally for prolonged period of time and requires frequent parental care (stuck in a pool, drain, courtyard, window well, etc.)
5. If the animal is covered in external parasites (excessive mites, fly eggs, maggots, etc.)
6. If the animal has prematurely left the nest and has had no visible, parental contact beyond the normal rate of feeding that is known to occur
7. If the animal is depressed, hypothermic, dehydrated, or emaciated (requires evaluation by a rehabilitator to determine)

Helpful tips:

1. If you aren’t sure if a parent bird is visiting a nest or babies – set up a trail camera, home security camera, or recording device in view of the nest. Check it after a few hours! Or, watch diligently for one to two hours from a distance, and don’t look away. Feedings are quick.
2. Listen for birds in the area or use an application like Merlin to identify a species you see or hear. Parents may be nearby but not at the nest at all times. They have to forage, too.
3. Watch for fresh feces – babies are being fed frequently, which means they defecate frequently. Parents may take away the fecal matter, or it might stay along the edge of the nest (species dependent). However, the act of passing feces is a good sign they’re being actively being fed.
4. Baby birds often “gape” when approached by an adult (or movement) – opening their mouths and begging for food. Orphaned birds may not have enough energy to gape anymore. However, some species are quieter than others (taught not to move when a predator approaches), so it’s not a 100% indicator of being orphaned.
5. Tired, cold, and quiet baby birds are more likely to be orphaned than warm, active, and vocal baby birds in a nest.
6. When in doubt, take a photo of the situation and call your local rehabilitator for advice before you intervene. 

-Jackie Edmunds is the Wildlife Program Manager at DCHS.