Hatching and Fledging Birds

Living with wildlife, and allowing wildlife to live with us and despite us, may be difficult at times. With urban sprawl, and the human population branching out into more rural areas, the number of human-wildlife interactions are on the rise. Some of these interactions are exciting and harmless, some are a bit frightful and remind us that wildlife is just that, wild, and some may seem innocuous to us, but may put the critter in peril. Many organizations are eager to spread the word about how to live with bears and other mammals, encouraging animal lovers to leave young moose and deer where they sit waiting for their mother to return, and to clean up trash, outdoor cooking locations, and bird and pet food to discourage bears from taking up residence in their yards, but how should you react when living with our wild feathered friends? Often birds nest close to or even on structures where there is heavy human traffic. Some birds build a new nest every season, and the nests are sometimes not strong enough to last the season. Some birds use nests built by other birds in previous seasons. In both situations, baby birds may find themselves falling from the nest. Often they are found by people. Contrary to rumor, many birds have an under-developed sense of smell, and will continue to care for their young, even if they have been touched by people. Therefore, if you find baby birds that have fallen from their nests, and you are able, the best thing to do is to return them to the nest. Birds have often invested way too much energy, time, and resources in their young to abandon them so easily. In some cases, the nest is too high to return the fallen babies to the nest. In those cases, the best thing to do is to leave them alone, and keep domestic pets away from them. Many bird parents will continue to feed their babies on the ground, as long as they can find them and are not deterred by close proximity of humans or pets to the young. As the summer progresses, the young birds will begin to develop flight feathers and their first flight attempts will be made. Often this results in birds falling out of their nests or from tree limbs or bushes and being found by people, who believe they are injured and collect them to ‘save’ them. Learning to fly requires strength and muscle conditioning. Often birds learning to fly will have erratic flight patterns at best. On hot days they may be found on the ground in the shade, panting and drooping their wings to try to stay cool and recover their strength. It is crucial at that stage that people not only give the birds time and space, but also keep their domestic cats and dogs away from the birds. Fledging birds will often appear unkempt, with some down or underdeveloped feathers evident and often drab coloration compared to that of their parents.  Fledglings are often still being fed by their parents, but keep in mind, especially at this in-between stage, the parents will continue to feed them on the ground. The best thing to do if you find a fledgling bird on the ground is to leave it alone and give it space. If you believe it is not yet at fledgling stage and still appears to have a lot of visible down, you may attempt to put it back in the nest. As the summer heats up, adult and young birds may be susceptible to overheating. On average, normal bird body temperature is around 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Birds have developed multiple ways to keep cool in the heat. These include open-mouthed panting, high respiration rates, bathing, soaring, and drooping wings. Some birds even hang upside-down to allow the air to cool their body through the very thin skin under the wing. If you see any of these behaviors on a hot day, don’t be alarmed, it’s the bird’s way of cooling itself down. Remember, rehabilitation should only be considered if extensive injury is evident or if you have confirmed the death of the parent. While it is sometimes possible to successfully raise and release young birds from rehab, their later success in life is often limited as a result. If you care, leave them there.