Two young robins in a nest. (ID 13496447 © Cheryl Davis | Dreamstime.com)

By Alison Sandstrom

Feathered friends

Baby birds outside the nest: Experts say it’s OK to intervene

May 6, 2020 | 12:54 PM

If you see a flightless baby outside its protective nest, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan (WRSOS) wants people to know they can help.

“It’s a myth — a bird can not smell you on their young,” the organization said in a social media post. “If you find a baby bird that has fallen, please try to put it back in its nest.”

Penny Zelensky, a Prince Albert-based volunteer with WRSOS told paNOW a fluffy infant won’t last long on the ground before it’s picked up by a predator or succumbs to the elements.

“That’s open season for a cat or a big bird to come along,” she said. “It’ll be dead in no time because it will either get eaten by something or it will freeze to death. They don’t have any heat regulation, so they need to be in a nice snuggly nest.”

If you encounter a nestling, Zelensky explained you’ll know them by their down and over-sized beaks. First look up and see if you can locate the nest. If you find it, and can safely reach it, simply lift the baby back up into its cradle.

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If the nest has been blown down as well, you can return it, along with the juvenile to the tree.

In cases where the nest is nowhere to be seen, a new one can be fashioned from a container.

While, Zelensky said she does receive calls about fallen baby birds while operating WRSOS’s Wildlife Hotline, a far more frequent is concern is feathered friends who have collided with windows.

“Right now, it’s quite common for birds like robins to hit windows because they’re very territorial and if they see themselves in a reflection they’ll hit the window thinking it is another male robin attacking them or something,” she explained.

Putting up tape or decals on the outside of the window, or even a wind chime nearby, will break up the reflection and prevent birds from striking it.

Ultimately Zelensky said if people encounter animals in trouble and are not sure how to intervene, they should call WRSOS’s Wildlife Hotline.

“They’ll be someone on the other end,” she said. “If the person on the hotline can’t answer the question they will find out the answer and get back to you, and we can send people out to help out as well.”

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom