Please DO NOT offer animals any water or food unless instructed to do so by a trained rehabber.
Please DO NOT offer animals any water or food unless instructed to do so by a trained rehabber.
Found a Baby Bird?
Follow our guide for help! our Text hotline is available to answer questions at (704) 286-6330 between 8 Am-6 PM.
In the spring and summer, baby birds are the most common patient at Carolina Waterfowl Rescue. However, wild bird parents are the best equipped to care for their young, and human interference may not be required at all times. Before bringing a baby bird to the rescue, it is critical to assess whether or not the animal you have found needs help.*
*This does not apply to baby waterfowl. If you find a gosling or duckling alone, please text us at the above number in lieu of following the procedures outlined below.
We accept all adult and precocial birds; songbirds; waterfowl including ducks, geese, and swans; fish-eating birds like egrets, herons, kingfishers, loons, coots or grebes; game birds like peacocks, turkeys, pheasants and quail.
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KEEP WILDLIFE WILD
Possession of wildlife without appropriate permits is illegal. If you find/have rescued an injured animal, contact a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator ASAP to get the help it needs. View the NC Wildlife Directory to find your nearest rehabber.
Step 1: How old is the bird?
A bird of any age requires immediate help if it is:
Caught by a cat or dog
Hit by a car
Visibly injured
Unable to walk
Limping or dragging a limb
Lethargic, cold to the touch
Covered in ants or flies
Please contact us at (704) 286-6330 with a photo and brief description of the bird as soon as possible to determine further steps.
Hatchling/Nestling
Too young to be out of the nest. Can range from completely naked to few feathers or patches of feathers depending on the species. May open mouth chirp expecting food. Cannot run or hop.
Fledgling
Has left the nest and learning to fly. Fully feathered or almost. Can have “grandpa” tufts on head. Shorter tail than adults. May open mouth chirp expecting food. Runs or hops on ground.
Is the bird a nestling or a fledgling? Identifying the approximate life stage of the bird will help you with next steps.
Step 2: Renest or Reassess
If the bird is a hatchling/nestling, we will take you through RENEST INSTRUCTIONS. If you have determined the bird to be a fledgling, please follow the REASSESS INSTRUCTIONS.
REMEMBER birds of any age who exhibit the following should be reported to CWR’s text hotline.
Visibly sick or hurt (bleeding, broken bones, puncture wounds, open wounds, etc.)
Were picked up and dropped by a predator animal (dog, cat, hawk, etc.)
Tries to get away from you but can’t (tries to fly, walk, stand, etc. but unable to)
Flies buzzing around the animal (means the animal has been there for a long time)
MYTH! If you touch a baby bird, its parents will not abandon it. Birds are excellent parents. All they want is their baby back.
renest FOR NESTLINGS: Can you locate the nest or cavity the baby fell from?
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- An uninjured nestling bird found on the ground with few or no feathers needs to be returned to the nest.
- Look in nearby trees and bushes to see if you can locate the nest. Look everywhere, even unsuspecting spots! For example, Carolina wrens like to nest in tree hollows or human structures, like hanging plants, brown thrashers can occasionally nest on ground shrubs. If you see a nest in a tree or structure, simply return the baby to the nest, first making sure the bird is warm to the touch.
- If the baby is not warm, you can simply warm the bird in your hands before returning it to the nest. Returning a young, cold bird to the nest will encourage the parent to push the baby out of the nest, as the parent is trying to remove a cold object to protect other warm young and/or eggs.
- Observe the nest continuously from a distance for at least 2 hours. It's important not to lose sight of the nest even briefly because you may miss seeing the parent return. If a parent visits the nest, the baby is fine and you have given it the best possible chance of survival!
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- You have either found a ground-nesting species, or an external event has caused the nest to fall out of a tree. You may be able to tell from the state of the nest whether it experienced a fall.
- If you believe the nest was constructed on the ground, try to determine the bird species. It can be difficult to confidently identify birds when they are this young, but this is a good resource. Also check Cornell's All About Birds website, which has excellent information on nest type and placement. Renest the baby into the ground nest upon confirmation.
- If an intact nest has fallen out of a tree with babies, gather the nest and babies. Place the nest in a berry basket or other drainable container, then wire it securely to the tree it fell from.
- If the nest is not intact, find an appropriately sized container to place the babies in: 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. It is very important that the nest is able to drain completely. It is important that the nest is as close as possible to the original site since parent birds identify babies by location. Then wire it securely to that spot (at least 5-10 feet above the ground).
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How to Construct a False Nest to Renest a Nestling Bird:
1. Get a plastic butter tub or similar plastic container like a berry container without the lid (large enough to fit the baby with space for the parents to perch on the side.)
2. Punch holes in the bottom for drainage if no holes are present. It is very important that the nest is able to drain completely.
3. Line the container with dried grass, pine needles, leaves, or other natural materials.
4. Secure container to tree by nailing it or using another method that is stable (mom will need to be able to land on it). It is important that the nest is as close as possible to the original site since parent birds identify babies by location. Then wire it securely to that spot (at least 5-10 feet above the ground).
5. Place the babies in the container.
6. Go inside and monitor from a window (best option) or back far enough away that you do not prevent the mom from coming to the nest (at least 40 feet).
7. Watch continually rather than just spot check, or you may miss the mom. Watch for around two hours to see if mom begins caring for the babies. If not, text us at (704) 286-6330.
reassess FOR FLEDGLINGS: Is the bABY AT RISK OR AN ORPHAN?
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Parent birds will continue to feed a fledgling on the ground for a couple weeks as the baby learns to fly and gains more strength. Often, when people or animals try to approach grounded fledglings, the adults will mob (fly in a threatening manner) the intruder – this is normal and a good sign that the bird is being cared for. These grounded young birds are usually able to fly within a matter of days.
Some species are notorious for jumping the nest early, like cardinals! Even if you attempt to renest a cardinal baby, they will likely jump out again. As long as you can observe a parent caring for them, they are fine to be left hopping on the ground.
Although birds are vulnerable to predators, pets (especially outdoor cats) and children at this stage of development, this is a normal process, and it is crucial for the bird to learn to recognize these threats. Keep pets indoors or take them out on a leash when necessary to prevent pet attacks, and watch the fledgling to make sure the parents are still feeding the bird.
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Please text us a photo of the deceased parent and the orphaned fledgling(s), so that we may verify if the two belong to the same species. Chances are you have several songbird species occupying your yard, and we would like to confirm that the birds are related before advising.
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If the fledgling is in an open area with nowhere to hide (an open lawn, a sidewalk, a parking lot or driveway), it’s okay to direct them toward a spot with a bit more shelter. It may help to cover the fledgling with a towel or scarf to catch it. Take them to a bush, low tree, or flowerbed nearby.
At this stage baby birds are mobile, and their parents are used to looking around for them and communicating by calling back and forth. Make sure not to move them too far — within easy visual distance, or not more than about 20 feet. Fledglings should not be moved across roads, as there’s a good chance they will cross the road trying to come back if their parent or original nest site is on the other side, putting them at risk of being hit by a car.
Even in the most urban areas, there is usually a flower planter, a hedge, or a patch of weeds that is a suitable spot for a fledgling bird to hide.
Monitor from a distance for parents coming back to feed the baby. Most birds will feed their babies every 10-30 minutes, but you should watch for at least 2 hours — especially if you already contained the baby before reading this and have just put them back.
If there is no sign of the parents after two hours or if there is nowhere safe to put the baby bird, contact CWR for advice.
Step 3: Transport
If you have attempted re-nesting but a parent has not been observed in two hours of constant monitoring, or if the baby bird is injured and our hotline has requested that the bird be brought to our facility, please follow the advice below for containing and transporting the bird.
Containment & Transport Tips
Tools
Appropriately-Sized Container
Shoebox with airholes, or similarly lidded container.
Container Lining
Pillow case, old t-shirt, paper towels, toilet paper (NO towels with loops).
1. STOP!
The first thing to do before proceeding sounds counterintuitive but PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE BIRD ANY FOOD OR WATER. Trust us. Many birds received by rehab centers suffer irreparable damage from well-meaning people aspirating them with water or feeding them an improper diet. Friendly reminder that Google is not always right!
2. Dark, Quiet, & Warm
Keep the bird in as dark and quiet of an environment as possible to reduce stimulation and excess stress. Keep the bird in a warm room of your house away from vents or drafts. Do not attempt to handle or pet the bird once contained. Birds view us as predators and some species are so prone to over-stress that they can die from it.
3. Text Your ETA to (704) 286-6330
You’ll be connected to our volunteer hotline. Send a photo of the bird and describe the bird’s condition as best as you can. From there, put this address in your GPS 5403 Poplin Rd. Indian Trail, NC 28079 and send us your ETA, so we are ready for your arrival. The quicker you can bring the bird to our rescue center, the better the chance of recovery!
Unable to transport? Call the bird an Uber (we’re not joking!) or request a transport from our volunteer first responder network.
Raising a wild bird properly takes two to four months of intensive care and specialized diets, so DO NOT attempt to give an injured or orphaned bird food or water, or raise it yourself. Untrained individuals can cause irreversible damage to a growing bird by attempting feeding.
It is extremely difficult to raise a baby bird, and this is one of the reasons it is illegal for unlicensed individuals to keep wild animals – even if they plan to release them. Even veterinarians, unless they themselves are also licensed wildlife rehabilitators, are only permitted to stabilize wildlife for 48 hours until the animal can be transferred to a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center, like Carolina Waterfowl Rescue.
Become a Sponsor
Carolina Waterfowl Rescue is a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation center and sanctuary that accepts more than 7,000 animals per year and receives no government funding. Our staff and volunteers strive to provide the best medical care and husbandry for the animals that are admitted to our facility. Our primary goal, in every possible case, is to rehabilitate and release back to the wild or place domestic animals in adoptable homes.
Help us do this important work.
