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From:	Bird Rehaber (164.76.238.109)
Subject:	Ignorance kills wild birds!
Date:	December 4, 2005 at 11:04 am PST

I saw a lot of messages from earlier this year regarding found baby birds or their eggs. Let me dispel some myths right now:

1) If you touch a baby bird, it's parents will NOT abandon it. I know, we were all told this as kids, and it is not true. However, you should wash your hands before and after picking a bird up just so the oil on your hands doesn't get on the feathers. That can ruin the feathers.

2) If you TRULY care about the bird or birds' welfare, you will not attempt to care for it yourself. (Remember: it's about the bird's needs, NOT your wants). Most people think this is an easy job, like having a pet. It is NOT. The reason it's illegal to have wild birds in MOST people's possession is because most people do not know how to properly care for wild birds. If you want to care for wild birds, you need a permit. Anyone who wants to care for wild birds, volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center (ESPECIALLY in summer!). You will get to care for all the baby birds you want, you will be learning how to truly help birds in need, and you will be able to have some personal time, which you won't have if you take on a baby bird by yourself (if you thought newborn humans were time-consuming, just wait!).

3) DON'T feed baby robins worms! There is a parasite that can be found in worms (gape-worm) that can kill young robins. It's a nuissance in adults, but because a baby is so much smaller, the worm chokes the baby to death.

4) A baby bird that is fully feathered and running around your backyard, but not flying is a fledgling. They have NOT been abandoned by their parents. This is the teenage form for birds. Most fledglings will not succeed at flying on their first attempt, will fall out of the nest and land on the ground. The next few days, they will be figuring out how to fly. In the meantime, mom and dad will be watching and quickly feeding their "teen bird." If you are concerned that the bird has been abandoned, sit and watch the bird for about an hour. You must do nothing else, but watch because the parents are fast when they feed. They don't hang around to stand next to junior. Keep dogs and cats out of your yard for the next 3-4 days. The bird will be flying fairly soon and will leave the yard to learn how to eat with its parents. Most baby birds do not know how to eat on their own once they are able to fly.

5) Birds that hit your windows and don't get up right away need to be taken to the vet or a wildlife rehab center. Birds can have broken bones, internal bleeding or head injuries. Call the vet, humane society or wildlife rehab center for help if it's a predatory bird (like hawks or shrikes). You don't want to end up in the emergency room too!

6)Birds that don't want to eat or drink need to go to the vet or wildlife rehab center immediately! The smaller the bird, the more urgent the matter. Smaller animals have faster metabolism than larger animals. For instance, humans will starve to death in a matter of weeks. Humming birds, however, will starve to death in a matter of 2-3 hours. Baby birds also need to eat a lot more frequently than adult birds (hence why baby birds should be either left with their parents who know how to care for them or taken to a wildlife rehab center).

7) Unless you have a Ph.D in ornithology or vetrinary science with a speciality in avain health, you should ALWAYS contact your local humane society, vet or wildlife rehabilitation center for help regarding any questions or situations you may have with birds. So many people have thought with their hearts and not their heads and have unintentionally killed wild birds in their care because they wanted to live the fantasy of being Snow White with the blue bird perched on their fingers singing to them. Birds that do that are destined to be eaten by cats or killed by malicous humans. It's not normal wild bird behavior. Wild birds have to be saavy and wary of their surroundings. They have to be able to communicate with their own species in order to be able to survive. Please, ALWAYS think of what is BEST for the bird, NOT what would make you happy.

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