It can be easy to assume that a baby bird has been abandoned or orphaned, but often these birds may just need assistance getting back into their nest. Follow the steps below to determine if the baby bird you found needs help being renested or needs to be brought into care at a local wildlife rehabilitation center.

Pelican Harbor Seabird Station (PHSS) is open every day from 9 AM to 5 PM. We have 24-hour drop-off cages for rescues outside of our business hours. Call our wildlife hotline at (305) 751-9840 for additional assistance.

Reminders for Handling Animals

Never feed or give water to an injured, sick, or orphaned animal. Feeding or providing water to animals, especially babies, can lead to serious medical complications.
If you have the animal contained, make sure it is in a comfortable box with air holes. Contained wildlife should be kept in a dark, quiet place with no human interaction.
Stress is a major cause of death for injured wild animals. An animal that seems calm around you may actually be experiencing extreme stress.
Wild birds are not accustomed to being handled by people or around loud talking, noisy children, or pets. Do not try to hold or pet them.

Determining the Bird’s Condition

A baby bird’s best chances of survival are with the mother. First, call your local wildlife center to ensure the bird you found is a baby.

If you find a baby bird you think is abandoned, observe it for about an hour. If there is no sign of the parents, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator for advice.

Place the baby in a dark, warm box and contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center if you find a baby bird affected by the following:

visible wounds or injuries
unable to flutter wings
bleeding
wings drooping unevenly
weak or shivering
attacked by a cat, dog, or other animal
cold and wet
covered in flies or ants

Uninjured Fledglings

A Blue Jay fledgling on top of a towel in a laundry basket.

If the bird is fully feathered and hopping on the ground, this is a fledgling. It should be left alone if it is not hurt or sick. The parents are caring for it and teaching it to fly since birds learn from the ground up. The fledgling’s parents will be back soon to feed it.

If the uninjured fledgling is not safe from cats, dogs, and people, put the bird in bushes or on a nearby tree limb. Watch from a distance. If the parents are nearby, you can leave the area because the fledgling is okay. If the parents are not nearby, call a wildlife rehabilitator.

Renesting Process for Baby Birds

If the baby bird is not injured or sick, the next best option is to renest.

Two baby Chimney Swifts with eyes closed.

If the baby bird is pink, not fully feathered, and not hopping around, it is a nestling and is too young to be out of the nest. If you can access the original nest, gently place the bird back in it. You can use kitchen or garden gloves for this process.

It is a myth that mother birds will not return after you have touched their baby. Your scent will not scare away the mother.

If the original nest is destroyed or too high to reach, follow the steps shown in our video to create a substitute nest:

Use a small basket or poke holes in the bottom of a small container and line it with grass.
Use rope or zip ties to secure it to a tree limb where it will be protected from the elements. Return the baby bird to the new nest.
Observe from a distance for the next 12 hours to ensure the parents come back to the nest.

If the mother does not return, place the baby in a dark, warm box and contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center.

Finding a Baby Duck, Goose, Quail, or Killdeer

If you know the mother of a baby duck, goose, quail, or Killdeer is dead or if the baby is injured, call a wildlife rehabilitator right away. If the baby is separated from the mother and you know where she is, place the baby close by so she can hear it. Watch from a distance.

If the mother is not found or does not claim the baby within an hour, call a wildlife rehabilitator. If you cannot reach one, rescue the baby by following the section “Steps for Rescuing Baby Birds” below.

Finding a Local Wildlife Rehabilitator

To find a wildlife rehabilitator in your area, check the Humane World for Animals directory. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has a map of bird rehabilitator locations.

If you are unable to reach a wildlife rehabilitator, call your state wildlife agency or a wildlife veterinarian. If you are unable to reach any of these, see the instructions below for rescuing baby birds.

Steps for Rescuing Baby Birds

Only adults should rescue baby birds. Children who find a baby bird should not touch it; instead, they should immediately inform an adult. Before rescuing adult birds, seek guidance from a wildlife rehabilitator.

The steps below are adapted from Healers of the Wild: People Who Care for Injured and Orphaned Wildlife by Shannon K. Jacobs.

Prepare a container. Place a clean, soft cloth with no strings or loops on the bottom of a cardboard box or cat/dog carrier with a lid. If it does not have air holes, make some. For smaller birds, you can use a paper sack with air holes.
Protect yourself by wearing gloves if possible. Some birds may stab with their beaks, slice with their talons, and slap with their wings to protect themselves, even if sick. Birds commonly carry diseases and have parasites such as fleas, lice, or ticks.
Cover the bird with a light sheet or towel.
Gently pick up the bird and put it in the prepared container.
Tape the box shut or roll the top of the paper bag closed.
Note the exact location where you found the bird. This may be important for release.
Keep the bird in a warm, dark, quiet place away from children and pets. Leave the bird alone; don’t handle or bother it. Don’t give the bird food or water unless you are directed to do so by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Different species require different diets, and improper feeding can injure the baby and cause more harm than good.
Contact a wildlife rehabilitator, state wildlife agency, or wildlife veterinarian as soon as possible. Don’t keep the bird at your home longer than necessary. Keep it in a container and do not let it loose in your house or car.
Wash your hands after contact with the bird. Wash anything the bird was in contact with — such as a towel, jacket, blanket, or pet carrier — to prevent the spread of diseases and/or parasites to you or your pets.
Get the bird to a wildlife rehabilitator such as Pelican Harbor Seabird Station as soon as possible. The faster the bird is cared for by a permitted rehabber, the better the chances for its survival.

It is illegal to keep most wild birds as pets. It’s against the law in most states to keep wild birds if you don’t have permits, even if you plan to release them. Any wild bird you encounter should be left alone or turned over to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Call PHSS at (305) 751-9840 to bring a patient to us or be directed to your nearest wildlife center. We are open every day from 9 AM to 5 PM. We recommend that you keep babies at home overnight and bring them in the next morning.