What to do if You Find a Baby Bird on the Ground

      Have you ever seen bird chicks? If you have, you probably just caught a glimpse of little heads peering out of a nest. But sometimes a chick is not so lucky and falls to the ground. Here is what to do if you find a fledgling bird on the ground.

Chicks rely on their mothers for food and safety, but when a bird is beginning to fledge, it ventures into the outside world. If what you found is a fledgling, it may have simply had a crash landing. Here is how to tell if the bird is a fledgling or not:

When a bird is a fledgling, it has most of its feathers on its body, especially on the wings. If a hatchling, the body will be covered in down, a soft, fluffy type of feather. Hatchlings are especially vulnerable, but, luckily, most cases of chicks falling happens with fledglings.

Fledgling

If you do find a fledgling bird on the ground, DO NOT TOUCH IT, no matter how cute it is. You may really want to rescue it yourself, but the best thing for the bird is for you to leave it alone. Assume that the mother will find it. If you take it as a pet, it will never learn what it needs to live in the wild. Especially if it is vocalizing, leave it alone, but still come back every now and then to check on it. You do not need to take it to a wildlife rehabilitation center unless it is visibly injured. If not, it has probably just fallen from the nest or had a crash landing. The mother will find it. You should wait around an hour for it to be moved to the nest. Do not try to relocate it yourself. 
If the chick is in immediate danger, you can intervene, but be sure to move it back to where you saw it once the danger has subsided.
 
If you find a nestling/hatchling on the ground, you must take more serious measures. Birds in this phase of their lives are much more vulnerable, so you need to actively do something. You may first try to relocate the bird to its nest, if it is visible. Birds have a very poor sense of smell, and the mother will not abandon the chick if it smells like human. A bird would not notice this. If the nest is not visible, or clearly either fallen or destroyed, you should first wait around half an hour. If the parent doesn't come to it, it is advised to contact a wildlife rehabilitation center. Tuck the bird in a small basket lined with blankets, and bring it. Do not attempt to give the bird food or water, whether it is a nestling or fledgling.