When to Rescue
Baby Songbirds
Baby songbirds begin appearing in Florida from late winter through fall. We see them on the ground and think they need to be rescued. All too often, we are mistaken.
The only time a baby songbird needs to be rescued is when:
1. It has no or few feathers and is on the ground.
As long as baby birds are in the nest, they are probably just fine. You may not see the adults, but they are there. Even with only one parent, the young will be cared for.
2. It is obviously injured or has been brought to the house by a cat or dog.
3. Its tail is less than ½” in length and it can’t hop around on its own.
Contrary to popular belief, songbirds don’t fly from the nest. They “hop”. For days, young songbirds hop around the nest area, hiding in tall grasses and bushes while learning to fly. During this time, the parents continue to protect and feed them. Human interference is not needed. The best chance these young birds have to survive is to be left to the training of their parents.
If you find a baby songbird that you are sure needs rescuing, here’s how to be of best assistance.
1. Place the baby in a tissue or paper towel lined box that has a few air holes in the top.
2. Keep the box in a warm area, away from drafts and air conditioning.
3. DO NOT FEED IT ANYTHING AT ALL. Feeding a baby the wrong food will kill it. Birds are not mammals they do not drink milk. White bread isn’t good for humans it isn’t good for birds.
4. DO NOT FORCE FEED IT WATER OR ANY FLUID. Baby birds will die if you give them a liquid that runs into their lungs.
5. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area. Telephone numbers of these rehabilitators may be obtained by calling the regional office of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission nearest you or your own states equivalent department. Otherwise, look in your phonebook under Wildlife Management.
(Excerpts taken from LeeAnn Pennington, Florida Wildlife Magazine, with permission of Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. No copyright laws apply.)
HOPE Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc., is a non-profit all volunteer organization working to Help Our Precious Environment through rehabilitation and education of Florida's native wildlife.
HOPE Wildlife Rehabilitation currently has rehabbers that specialize in Florida native birds such as hawks, owls, falcons, water birds and song birds. The animals we rehabilitate are Florida native deer, opossum, all three squirrels (fox, grey and flying), raccoon, rabbit, bat, armadillo and baby skunk. We do not have the facilities to rehabilitate water mammals, wolves, coyote, panther, bobcat, bear, fox or adult skunk. We work with many other rehabbers though who are equipped to take these animals.
We are also always in need
of volunteers. We need people to
transport animals to veterinarians and rehabbers as
well as volunteers who are willing to obtain
a rehabilitation permit from the state and / or
federal government in order to work with
the animals directly by raising orphans and rehabilitating
injured birds and animals. We also need volunteers
to help with fundraising and nest box and
cage building. People who are interested
can phone direct at 352-628-9464 for more information
Your tax-deductible donations can be sent to:
HOPE Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc.
PO Box 234
Crystal River, FL 34423
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