Found young bird on the ground... what to do?

[huntert93]

So I just found a young baby bird on the ground next to a tree... he has feathers but still some fuzzy down and he doesn't look quite completely developed yet. I put him in a cage for now, this was about 10 minutes ago though. Should I take care of him (and if I need to, howso?) or should I just put him back where I found him? Again, he's not a small baby but probably an adolescent bird.

Thanks

[huntert93]

oh yeah and I didn't see any nests in the tree above. mostly I'm afraid that if I put it back a cat will get it or something

[Hope81]

Best advice i can give you is to take it to the nearest animal shelter...Hopefully its still got a shot and bounce back...

[MicahEspudo]

Call a wildlife rehaber... hand the baby over to them :)

[Hope81]

Ya for sure...

[KDK241]

Put him back where you found him if he has most to almost all of his feathers. Babies will leave the nest before they are full grown and the parents will come and feed them. Do you know what kind of bird it is? If you are worried about cats you can make a "pen" out of chicken wire or similar. The parents should come and still feed him but that way he is safe from cats. Keep an eye on him to see if the parents come back and if they don't then you will have to find out what kind of bird it is and feed him or bring him to a wildlife rehabilitation center.

[Lisa B]

How To Locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator

[NaniOokami]

Nine times out of ten, leave it where it is. Birds explore at a young age, and even if you don't see any nests, they are often there and well hidden. The parents will drop by to take care of the little one.

This time of year, many people are finding baby birds - and the sad fact of it is, most people do more harm than good. Some do meet untimely deaths due to roaming cats and other predators, but exploring and fledging the nest is also a completely natural part of their young lives. Many, many birds die in the hands of people who want to/think they are doing the right thing by taking them in.

As was already said, if cats are a concern, build a chicken wire enclosure to keep the cat s out. It isn't foolproof, but it's much better than attempting to raise a chick yourself.

[anbrownucsd]

Take him to a Wildlife Rehabilitator. I am no expert, but the damage might already be done by picking him up. Maybe the parents will no longer come to look for him or feed him! I'm not 100% sure, but at least its a sure bet that the bird will get the best chance to survive at a Wildlife Rehabilitator.

[SDavid]

If you just found him and you haven't had him long....put him back. Baby birds do like to "jump" out of their nests. Parent's find their chicks by their call and will continue coming around to feed him. He'll soon grow strong enough and fly off. It happens quickly for wild birds. Again, this depends largely on what kind of bird it is but either way I wouldn't interfere with nature. From my personal experience if you put him back the parent's will find him again and continue to feed him. If your'e worried that this might not happen just keep an eye on what's happening. I'm not sure about the enclosure idea, cats can be pretty determined and the bird most likely will end up a sitting duck for predators (racoons, possum, etc.). Baby birds usually hide on their own and continue to call to their parents.

Also, a wild bird could be stubborn about taking food from anyone other than it's parents and could starve in that process alone.

I know the urge to pick up a baby bird is irresistible to us all but we really shouldn't. To us they seem alone and lost but they are not.