What Do You Do If You Find a Baby Bird?

Have you ever been playing in your backyard and suddenly happened upon a baby bird?

This happened to us just a few weeks ago. Felicity spotted a tiny baby black-capped chickadee sitting perched on the side of the deck. As she approached, it didn’t fly away—it just sat and stared. So we wondered, “Can it fly? Is it hurt? What should we do?”

Here’s what you should do if you happen upon a baby bird.

Trevor grabbed a stick and the little bird hopped onto it, so we were able to get a closer look. It didn’t look injured, but it still didn’t fly away, so we wondered, “What should we do?” Well, here’s what you should do if you happen upon a baby bird.

1. Identify if the baby is a nestling or a fledgling.

   Nestling: a bird that should be in a nest being cared for by its parents. Nestlings have sparse feathers and can’t walk, hop, or grip a stick (or your finger).

   Fledgling: a bird that has left the nest but hasn’t quite mastered flying yet. Fledglings have feathers and a stubby tail and can walk, hop, and grip a stick.

2. If the baby is a fledgling, you don’t need to do anything! Just observe God’s beautiful creation of this little bird, take some pictures, and then leave the bird undisturbed. (If the baby is in an area that might be dangerous, such as near the haunt of a domestic cat, you might want to carefully move it to a better hiding place, like a shrub.)

3. If the baby is a nestling, look around for the nest. It shouldn’t be very far away, but it will likely be camouflaged, so it might take a bit of hunting to find it. Once you find the nest, gently scoop up the baby bird and put it back. If the nest has been destroyed, try your best to make a new one in the same spot and place the baby there. Keep an eye on the nest to ensure mom and dad come back.

   Fun fact: It’s a myth that if you touch a baby bird, the parents will abandon it because of your smell. Birds don’t recognize their chicks by scent, so they won’t care.

4. If you find a nestling but can’t find a nest and are sure the parents aren’t returning to care for the chick, or if the baby is injured, contact your local wildlife rehabilitator so they can take care of the baby.

In the case of our chickadee, do you think it was a nestling or fledgling based on these pictures?

The very God who knows when each sparrow falls, knows and cares for you!

That’s right, it was a fledgling! So we knew we didn’t need to do anything. And sure enough, after resting on our porch for a little while, it worked up the energy (or was it courage?) to fly and made it safely to a clump of trees nearby.

Well, we’re off on another adventure. Until next time, remember that the very God who knows when each sparrow falls knows and cares for you! Bye!

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29–31).