What to Do When Baby Birds Fall Out of a Nest
When a baby bird has fallen from its nest, it's only natural to feel sympathetic, but you need to proceed cautiously. Humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize animals and try to help them, but often you'll do more harm than good, even with the best intentions. The best plan of action is usually to just leave the baby bird be, although this varies slightly depending on the situation.
What to Look For
Baby birds leave their nest as part of the natural developmental process. When a baby bird outgrows its nest, it will make its first attempt at flight. More often than not, this first attempt at flight will result in failure-the baby bird will fall to the ground. At this point, the bird is considered a fledgling.
Watch the fledgling from a distance. You should notice the bird's parents flying nearby and continuing to feed the grounded fledgling. In fact, if you get too close, you'll probably notice the adult birds' agitation.
Sometimes strong winds or aggressive siblings force baby birds out of their nests prematurely. If you spot a naked baby bird, or a baby bird with very few feathers, this is a nestling. Nestlings shouldn't be out of their nest yet and might require your assistance.
What to Do
In the case of a fledgling, let the parents continue to nourish the bird until it learns to fly. Do your best to keep pets away from the baby, since it has no means of escape or defending itself. If you can't keep pets away from the fledgling, you might consider gently moving it into a bush or low-lying tree branch. Make sure to place it where the parents will have easy access.
For nestlings, attempt to return the bird to its nest. You might have heard that touching a baby bird will leave a "human scent" on the bird and scare away its mother, but this is not true. If you can't access the nest, create a new one. Use an old plastic container with holes for drainage and a paper towel lining. Use nails to place the container near the original nest and place the baby bird inside.
Bring the baby bird into your home or take it to a rescue center only if you're certain the bird's parents are absent.
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