Rescuing Birds

Sometimes birds need help! However, if you have to chase a baby bird to catch it, leave it alone. It may be a "fledgling" - a young bird just out of a nest. Often fledglings spend three or four days on the ground before being able to fly. A parent bird is usually nearby waiting for you to leave. if you find an injured baby bird, make it a clean nest by lining a small strawberry box with dry grass. Put the nest in a bigger box and provide warmth and quiet. Cover it at night. Do not use an old bird's nest because it can have parasites in it that could harm a young bird. Do not try to feed the bird and NEVER give it water. Do not leave food or water in the box. Seek help for the bird as soon as possible. Most baby birds unfortunately die when taken in by humans. If they live, they cannot be released into the wild because they have not learned how to find food or sing the songs and make the calls for their species. They also will not recognize predators nor will they have any sense of their migratory route if a migratory species.

If you find an injured adult bird, keep it in a cardboard box with holes punched low down on the box. A cardboard box is dark and calming for a bird. Keep the box out of the sun and away from cats, dogs and people. Avoid using a wire cage. A bird can damage its beak, feet and feathers on the wires in just minutes of terror. Call a wildbird rehabilitator for advice. In New Brunswick, call Maritime Atlantic Wildlife in Cookville, NB at (506) 364-1902.

If you need to feed an injured adult bird, try egg yolk, canned dog food, mealworms (usually available through pet supply stores), berries, chopped fruit, peanuts, finely chopped grapes and seeds, and let the bird choose. Do not try to feed worms to any bird other than a robin. Many species of birds do not eat worms. The bird you found may be a seed eater or fish eater. Most "dew worms" are too big for weak and sick birds. Many earthworms carry a small blood-sucking parasite called a gapeworm (syngamus) which passes on to whatever eats it. Robins have adapted to this parasite over thousands of years and it does not hurt them. However, it can harm other species of birds.

If a bird hits a window, put the bird in a cardboard box. Cover the box and leave the bird alone for an hour or so. Release the bird if it recovers. If you must transport an injured bird to a wild bird rehabilitator, be sure to keep your car radio off. Talk quietly to avoid stressing the bird any more than it is already stressed.

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