Replacing Baby Birds

 There is a common myth that if one finds baby birds fallen out of nests they must be “rescued” because the parents will not feed them if they have human odor on them. This is not true! Bird parents do not detect, or ignore foreign smells on their young. They respond to their cries and visual cues such as their open mouths.

If you find birds that have fallen out of the nest, gently place them back in the nest if you can do so without risking injury to you or the babies. If you cannot reach the nest safely, place the birds in a small, cloth-lined box and place in the branches as near to the nest as you can reach. The parents will continue to care for them when they return. As much as we love to tend our charges, birds are much better at raising birds than we are!

 David Sadkin Ph.D. Director of Education