Important Tips for Helping Fledglings During Breeding Season
Many young birds leave the nest before they can properly fly. Their parents continue to care for them, however. Anyone who finds a little bird sitting on the ground need not worry — as a rule, it does not need help.
Incubating eggs or flying back and forth to gather food for the nestlings: birds are in the thick of the breeding season.
In some places, the first fledglings have already left the nest. They sometimes make the leap from the nest before they can properly fly — this is the case with blackbirds and black redstarts, for example.
Nevertheless, these young birds are already well equipped for survival outside the nest: their parents continue to care for them. Young birds therefore rarely need human assistance. It would even be wrong to take them away, as even the most competent carer can never manage the rearing process as skilfully as the birds' own parents.
Sometimes, however, fledglings land in an unfavourable spot on their first outing — such as on a road or in the immediate vicinity of a cat. In the event of acute danger, a little support is therefore appropriate. It is sufficient to place the bird in a nearby bush; the human scent does not disturb the parent birds.
Anyone unsure whether the parent birds are nearby should observe the fledgling from a distance of at least 50 metres. If it has not been fed by its parents within an hour, it is advisable to contact a wildlife care station. A visit to a care station is also necessary if injured birds or barely feathered nestlings are found on the ground. Since keeping and caring for birds requires not only specialist knowledge but also a cantonal permit, raising them at home is not permitted.
WHEN TO INTERVENE?
Occasionally, young birds fall out of the nest too early. Such “unlucky birds” belong in a wildlife rehabilitation centre. They can be recognised by the fact that they are usually almost or completely naked and unable to hop. A decision tree is intended to help respond correctly to the most common situations:
www.vogelwarte.ch/vogel-gefunden
If you are unsure whether a young bird has genuinely fallen from the nest too early, it is advisable to photograph it and seek an assessment. The Swiss Ornithological Institute can be reached for this purpose at Tel. 041 462 97 00 (Mon–Fri 8am–12pm and 1:30pm–5pm). An on-call service is organised on weekends and public holidays (9am–12pm and 1:30pm–5pm).
