Spring is a lovely time of year for all, however, during spring and summer high numbers of young birds and fledglings are brought to us by members of the public, thinking that they are injured or abandoned. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to release these birds back into the wild. We hope the following information will help in your assessment of any baby birds you may find this Summer.

The bird I have found has no feathers: If the bird has no feathers at all, this is what we would call a nestling. Nestlings require protection from their nest and will not survive without it. Please ring us and we will be able to put you in contact with the nearest wildlife support officer

The bird I have found has feathers: These birds are what we would call fledglings. Fledglings leave the nest just before they can fly and spend 2-3 days on the ground; the parents are usually nearby, even if they cannot be seen, and continue to feed them. However tempting, interfering with these young birds will do more harm than good and you should not touch a baby bird unless it genuinely needs helps. You can monitor the bird from a distance and if in immediate danger you can move it to shelter a short distance away.

Why are these young birds hard to release back into the wild? Young birds need to be released exactly where found and as quickly as possible as the adults may leave the area and therefore not care for the youngster. Most of these young birds have to be taken to rescue centres, which can cause unnecessary stress and death.