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We are approaching baby bird season!
To recap from last year, and every year:
1. Birds have a terrible sense of smell. They cannot smell you on their young, and even if they could, they don't care all that much. A single interaction with a human will not require a baby bird to be hand-raised, which is good because unless you're already an expert or can get help from an expert, you probably suck at it. However, you should still avoid picking up baby birds because
2. They're very small and fragile and you can easily harm them with excessive handling. And most of the time when you think a baby bird is in distress and needs rescuing, it's not. Remember, in most species baby birds are kicked out of the nest long before they can fly, because they're safer moving around.
If you are not sure if a baby bird is in distress, observe from a distance. Most likely Mom and Dad will return soon. If you are CERTAIN that a baby bird is in IMMEDIATE distress - say, they're definitely too young to be on the ground, or they're in a very busy area - then you can lift it gently with your hands and return it to the nest (if applicable) or to a sheltered area. At this point you can observe from a distance if you're still not sure about the situation.
If, after a great deal of time, it is clear that Mom and Dad are not returning, you should contact an expert for advice. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GO IT ALONE. Many baby birds are harmed every year by well-meaning rescuers who had no idea what they were doing. Most of those birds were just fine where they are. Those which weren't would've had a kinder death if they'd been left alone. If you don't know what you're doing, you don't want to make things worse.
1. Birds have a terrible sense of smell. They cannot smell you on their young, and even if they could, they don't care all that much. A single interaction with a human will not require a baby bird to be hand-raised, which is good because unless you're already an expert or can get help from an expert, you probably suck at it. However, you should still avoid picking up baby birds because
2. They're very small and fragile and you can easily harm them with excessive handling. And most of the time when you think a baby bird is in distress and needs rescuing, it's not. Remember, in most species baby birds are kicked out of the nest long before they can fly, because they're safer moving around.
If you are not sure if a baby bird is in distress, observe from a distance. Most likely Mom and Dad will return soon. If you are CERTAIN that a baby bird is in IMMEDIATE distress - say, they're definitely too young to be on the ground, or they're in a very busy area - then you can lift it gently with your hands and return it to the nest (if applicable) or to a sheltered area. At this point you can observe from a distance if you're still not sure about the situation.
If, after a great deal of time, it is clear that Mom and Dad are not returning, you should contact an expert for advice. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GO IT ALONE. Many baby birds are harmed every year by well-meaning rescuers who had no idea what they were doing. Most of those birds were just fine where they are. Those which weren't would've had a kinder death if they'd been left alone. If you don't know what you're doing, you don't want to make things worse.
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Usually a baby bird on the ground does not need to go back to the nest, and should not go into the nest anyway. If you're certain that this is a nestling and you cannot find the nest or can find it but cannot get to it, that's another situation where you should call the experts for advice. (I think you know that, I'm just being a bit pedantic.)
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