This time of year gives us many gifts of nature, colorful flowers, pleasant smells, heat and humidity, and multitudes of baby birds and animals in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Each year, naturalists like myself and wildlife rehabilitators get hundreds of calls about "abandoned" young animals and birds when people thing they have found an abandon critter.
So let’s take a look at some of the do’s and don’ts for the next time you find a baby animal or bird in your yard. Your actions might make the difference between life and death for this baby.
Before you rush to "rescue" a bird or animal the first thing to do is take a minute to think, is this critter really orphaned? The vast majority of young animals, especially birds, are not orphaned. Most of the time it is just a young bird waiting for its parents to feed them or a baby animal that is already on its own and doesn’t need its parents. The key here is to stand back and observe the critter and allow enough time and space to let the parent come back.
Baby birds
Let’s take a closer look at what to do if you find a baby bird. A baby bird that is lacking a complete coat of feathers is always better off with its parents so the best thing to do is find the nest from which it came and returning the bird. Don’t worry about the old tale of mother birds rejecting young because it has human scent on it. This is completely false. Birds have little if any ability to smell. The birds that have been out of the nest for a while may need some warming before returning to the nest so you can cup them in your hands using your own body heat to warm them before returning to the nest.
If the nest has been knocked down, try putting the nest back in the tree. It doesn’t have to be in the exact same place. Birds have great eyesight and will have no problems finding the new location. If the nest has been completely destroyed you can gather some dried grass to line a small plastic margarine tub. Punch a few drainage holes in the bottom and attach it to the tree with a wire in approximately the old place. Replace the young and watch for the parents to return.
Just about any bird that is fully feathered, eyes are open and walking around on its own doesn’t need any rescuing unless injured. These birds are called fledglings. Take a good look at these birds before deciding to rescue them. If they have feathers covering their entire body and are hopping around on the ground leave them alone. Even if they can’t fully fly they can usually flap enough to reach the lower branches of a shrub or tree hopefully out of the reach of any cat and dog.
Fledgling birds are still being fed by their parents. If you don’t see any parents, back away and watch. Mom and dad are probably just out getting a bug or worm for junior. If you’re too close, the parents will stay out of sight waiting for a safe time to approach their offspring.
Baby bunnies, squirrels
Finding baby bunnies in your yard doesn’t necessarily mean they are orphaned. Bunnies that are still in a nest are being cared for by their mother. If the bunny nest has been disturbed you can replace the nesting material and snuggle the babies back into place. Baby bunnies that are fully furred with their eyes open and are running around by themselves will be just fine no matter how small they look to you.
Baby squirrels are similar to baby bunnies. If a young squirrel falls from its nest you should put the baby in a cloth lined box and leave it at the base of the tree from which it fell. The mother will come down when it’s safe and carry the baby back to the nest. If the nest has been destroyed put all the babies in the box and wait for the mother to return. The mother will gather up the young one at a time and move them to a new nest. All squirrels have multiple nests and she will simply move the young. If the parent has been killed the young squirrels should be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator.
This year when you see a young bird, rabbit or squirrel in your yard, stop and think before you jump to the rescue. If you need additional advice from a licensed wildlife rehabilitator look in your telephone book under wildlife or contact your local animal humane society or nature center. Until next time.
Stan Tekiela, Victoria, is an author-naturalist and wildlife photographer. He travels the U.S. to study and photograph wildlife. You can follow him on twitter.com and facebook.com or visit his web page at www.naturesmart.com. His column appears regularly in the Advocate.