BABY BIRD - HATCHLING & NESTLING

If a hatchling/nestling is cold to the touch, it must be slowly warmed up. If you know the location of the baby’s nest, place it immediately back in its nest. Never attempt to give food or water to a baby bird! Getting the bird to its parents will give it the best chance of being fed right away.

The very best help a person can give a hatchling is to return it to its nest. The hatchling has likely fallen from directly above, unless it was moved by a cat or dog. It is not uncommon for babies to fall from nests in high winds, heavy rain, or due to nest disturbance; check the ground for other fallen birds.
Sometimes nestlings fall or jump or are pushed out of their nest too soon because they are starting to move around and their nest gets crowded. They need to be returned to their nest until they are fledglings, which may only take a few days. (link to fledgling)

Is this nestling an orphan? A fallen hatchling or nestling will not be fed by its parent and will die from starvation and exposure without help. Observing the baby alone will not inform you whether the bird’s parents are still around. An effort must be made to return the baby to its parents. This requires returning the baby its nest or making a new nest to place it into.

Touching or handling a baby bird will NOT discourage an avian parent from feeding its young! It is a myth that human handling of a baby bird will cause a parent to abandon the baby or the entire nest. In general, a bird’s sense of smell is about as poor as a human’s.

Can you find the nest or cavity the baby fell from?

If you see a nest in a tree or structure, return the baby to the nest after checking to see that the hatchling or nestling matches others in the nest. If you do not see a nest, check for a hole or cavity that the baby could have dropped out of. Many birds nest inside tree cavities. Return the baby to the cavity if it contains similar looking young.
If the baby fell from a nest that you can locate but cannot reach, you will need to make a substitute nest. Click here. (link)

Observe the nest quietly from a distance. If a parent visits the nest, the baby is fine and you have given it the best possible chance of survival!

If the parents to not return within one to two hours, please call Greenwood Wildlife at 303-823-8455 and prepare to transport the bird or birds to Greenwood. We encourage you to consult Greenwood if the baby is cold and/or listless.

Click here to learn about containing, caring for, and transporting baby birds.

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What if the entire nest fell out of the tree or cannot be found?

If it is apparent that an entire nest has fallen out of a tree with babies, gather the nest and babies together. If the nest is intact, place or wire it securely into the tree it appeared to fall from.

If the nest is not intact, find an appropriately sized vessel to contain the babies: for example, a plastic berry container without a lid. The container must be able to drain water out of it. Place all of the nest material in the container. If you cannot find any of the nest, make one yourself by lining the container with grass or hay or straw. Then wire the new nest into a near-by tree and place the babies inside.

You will need to observe the nest quietly from a distance to see if the parents return to feed the babies.
If a parent returns, the babies are fine.

If the parents to not return after two hours, please Greenwood Wildlife at 303-823-8455 and prepare to transport the birds to Greenwood. You may wish to consult Greenwood if the baby is cold and or listless.

Click here to learn about containing, caring for, and transporting baby birds.

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