Question:they slept in the grass last night but I have retrieved an old nest. Should I place the 2 baby birds in the nest and place it back in my tree? It is going to be weeks before they start to fly! What should I do? They can't stay in our grass b/c 1)preditors and 2)its very cold in the grass at night.
Help?
Answers:
Do the babies have feathers yet? If so, they are fledglings and were ready to leave the nest anyway. Baby birds fledge (leave the nest) several days before they can fly. They hop around on the ground and they climb low branches until their wings are strong enough for flight. Mom will continue to feed them until they are self-sufficient. If they are feathered, leave them be.
If they do not yet have their feathers, secure the nest in the tree, place the babies in the nest, watch from a distance so you don't scare off the mom. All should be good.
And don't let anyone try to tell you that old myth that birds will abandon their babies if they have been handled...that just does NOT happen. Birds do not have an acute sense of smell. Wildlife biologists and bird banders handle baby birds all the time with their bare hands, and the mothers never reject the babies after they have been returned to the nests. You can see photos here: http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/p...
You should try to place the nest back into the tree and watch to see if the mother returns.
Did they sleep with the MOM on the grass, or did they sleep by themselves?
If they slept with the mom, then this means that the mom has decided to raise them in the grass, and you should leave them because moving them will probably just confuse her and then she'll abandon them.
If they slept alone, and if you can't see the mom anywhere, then this probably means that she abandoned them when they fell... then you might as well put them in the tree, although it probably won't help.
And are you SURE they fell from a tree? There are many kinds of birds that raise their babies in grass nests on the ground...
I always heard not to mess with it or the mama bird will abandon them alltogether. I would call your local Audubon (spelling?) Society. That happened to us once and we took nest and all to them, since the mama bird bailed.
if the mom is not there, you need to wear gloves that you have not used. Pick up the birds up and place them in the nest.Pick up the nest and place in the tree and see if the mom comes back.
Get the nest, put the bids in, and take care of them.
If the mother is with them you should catch her and the chicks and move them all together, you touching the chicks wont stop the mother sitting on them. If shes not bring them inside immediatly and provide heat and ring the RSPCA to see if there is a local bird breeder near.
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