Each year we receives hundreds of calls from members of the public who are concerned for baby and young birds that they find. In the majority of cases these animals are not in need of any extra care, and in fact have a much better chance of surviving to adult hood if left in their own environment. To help you decide what to do if you find a bird you are concerned about, we’ve compiled a list of 10 key points concerning baby and young birds.

  1. If you find an injured bird i.e. it is bleeding or has a broken wing please place it in a dark box and transport it to the nearest vet clinic or SPCA where it will be taken from you at no cost.
  2.  Most New Zealand garden birds have chicks that fledge (leave the nest) before they can fly. Just because a bird is on the ground and is unable to fly, does not mean it is injured.
  3. If you are concerned for a baby bird, try to determine if it is a nestling or a fledgling. The easiest way to tell is that nestlings will have very few feathers and be unable to perch on your finger. Fledglings will be mostly fully feathered and be able to perch on a finger.
  4. Nestlings need to be placed back in the nest, as this the only chance they have of surviving. Try to hunt for the nest in nearby trees or bushes. If you cannot locate the nest you can make a temporary nest out of an ice cream container, and place some soft bedding material in this along with the nestling. Secure it to a nearby tree and the parent birds will most likely return and continue to care for the chick.
  5. Fledglings that are uninjured are supposed to be on the ground before they can fly. The parent birds will be in the local vicinity finding food for themselves and their chicks. It is best to leave these fledglings alone and let the parents handle the situation. The only time you should move a fledgling is if its location is potentially hazardous i.e. a busy footpath or carpark. In this case place the chick somewhere close by that is more suitable, like a bushy area with some vegetation cover.
  6.  Birds have a very poor sense of smell. If you have handled a baby bird, don’t fear; the parents will not reject it because of this.
  7. But what about cats? Yes, cats can and do catch birds, which has, and will always be the case. Wellington SPCA is not in a position to prevent this happening and we recommend that if you own a cat and know there are baby birds in your yard, to keep your cats inside when possible. The chick will have fledged and be out of danger in a few days. As a last resort you can take a chick from a very open exposed position and relocate it somewhere with more cover nearby.
  8. Baby birds have a very high mortality rate in an animal shelter. In fact any unnatural environment is more likely to kill the bird than do it any good. The best chance of survival for the baby bird is to be left in its own environment.
  9. What about ducklings? The same general rules apply for ducklings as for garden birds. If the parents are around it is best to do nothing. If you are absolutely sure the bird is lost from its parent you can place it in a box with a covered hot water bottle or similar, and take it to your nearest vet clinic or SPCA free of charge. The biggest killer of ducklings is the cold. They are not waterproof and should not be kept around any sizeable water source without their mother. If holding to transport it is imperative the duckling is kept warm.
  10. What about feeding? It is not recommended that you attempt to foster and care for a baby bird unless you know what is involved. Young birds need to be fed every 15 to 20 minutes from sunrise to sunset. Most people are not able to provide this much time and effort in raising young birds.