BABY BIRD - FLEDGLING

Fledglings have left their nest and they are learning to fly. Please do not assume that these birds are orphans! Stop, look, and listen!

What do they look like? Sometimes fledglings look like baby birds because they have down showing or their tails are very short or they have a different coloration than their parent. Other fledglings look just like their parents.

How do they act? Fledglings that have just left the nest are both learning to fly and developing their flight muscles. They often fly in a downward trajectory and land on the ground, where they may rest and regain their bearings. It is difficult for newly fledged birds to fly upwards; they often can only fly or hop as high as low-lying bushes or branches, where they hide until a parent comes to feed them. It may take a few days before they are able to fly to the safer, higher, branches in trees. Fledglings that find themselves in small spaces surrounded by tall fencing are especially vulnerable, as they often cannot fly out. Birds in this situation should be picked up and placed in a higher, safer, location where a parent can access the bird.

Is the bird really orphaned? If an adult appears and feeds the bird, it is not orphaned and the bird should be left alone…even if it seems like you should try and “help” the animal. You must take time to quietly observe the bird from a distance in order to determine if it is orphaned – watch it consistently for up to one hour. Fledglings that are learning to fly are defenseless and must be protected from domestic dogs and cats. If a parent does not appear in one hour and the fledgling is on the ground or flying poorly, it may be orphaned and need assistance. If the fledgling is flying well and looks similar to a parent, it is older and probably does not need to be feed as often because it is eating some food on its own – it should be watched longer.

The fledgling should be able to walk, hop, and fly short distances at least along the ground – if it cannot do this, it may be injured and need help. If the fledgling has had contact with the mouth of a dog or cat, it has likely been injured and it should be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator.

Where there is one fledgling, there are often others. Scan the area to confirm if there are other fledglings in the area that are being fed by a parent. You may not see siblings of the fledgling that you are concerned about, but you will hear them if they are in a neighbor’s yard and a parent comes to feed them. The fledgling in front of you will hear, too, and likely move in that direction.

Every year Greenwood Wildlife receives fledglings that are not truly orphaned. Even though it seems like a dangerous world out there for a fledgling, their best chances for survival happen when they are raised by a parent. Please prevent “kidnapping” of fledglings that are not orphaned by taking some time out of your day to determine if the animal really needs your help before transporting it to us.

Please contact Greenwood immediately at 303-823-8455 if you come across a fledgling that has been contacted by a wild or domestic predator, of if the bird appears to be injured or ill.

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