Most baby birds found on the ground do not need rescuing. The Cornell Lab's All About Birds says most "abandoned" baby birds are healthy fledglings with their parents nearby, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) says fledglings "don't need help." The first job is to work out which kind of young bird you have. This page sets out what Audubon, the Cornell Lab, USFWS and four state wildlife agencies say, where they disagree, and how to reach a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Quick read
Hurt, bleeding, shivering, caught by a cat, or a dead parent nearby: call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (USFWS, Audubon Rockies).
Feathered and hopping: a fledgling. Leave it, keep pets indoors and watch from a distance.
Bare or fuzzy, cannot hop or grip: a nestling. Put it back in its nest if you can find it.
Touching it is fine. Parents do not abandon a chick because a person handled it (Cornell, Audubon, MassWildlife, USFWS).
Do not feed it, give it water or keep it (NestWatch). New York's DEC: "It is illegal to keep wildlife as pets."
Nestling or fledgling?
| Nestling | Fledgling | |
|---|---|---|
| Feathers | Bare skin, fuzz or sparse feathers; eyes may still be closed (Audubon, NestWatch, NY DEC, USFWS) | Fully or mostly feathered, often with a short stub of a tail (Cornell, NestWatch, MassWildlife) |
| Movement | Cannot hop, walk, flit or grip firmly (Cornell) | Hops, flutters or makes short flights; toes grip a finger or twig (Cornell, NY DEC, Kentucky) |
| Where the parents are | The nest is almost certainly nearby (Cornell) | Nearby, still feeding it (NestWatch, Texas Parks and Wildlife, USFWS) |
| Is being on the ground normal? | No: nestlings "aren't ready to leave the nest yet" (USFWS) | Yes: fledglings hop on the ground and in shrubs and are fed by their parents for a few weeks (NestWatch); flight is limited for about two weeks (Texas Parks and Wildlife) |
| First step | Return it to the nest | Leave it where it is |
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Photo: Julia C. Johnson / USFWS Mountain-Prairie, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What to do, step by step
- Check whether it needs help. USFWS lists a visible broken limb, bleeding, shivering, or a dead parent nearby. Audubon Rockies: "DON'T assume a bird injured by a cat will be okay." If any of these apply, go to step 7.
- Bring pets inside. Many fledglings "cannot fly well when they first leave the nest and are easy prey for house cats" (NY DEC).
- Fledgling: leave it. Give it space (USFWS) and watch from a distance to confirm the parents are coming back (Cornell). Do not put it back in the nest; Cornell says it will likely hop straight out again.
- Nestling: find the nest and put it back as quickly as possible. The nest may be well hidden (Cornell, Audubon). Cornell says parents do not recognize their young by smell, and Audubon quotes Susan Elbin of New York City Audubon: "Contrary to popular belief, birds do not have a strong sense of smell."
- No nest to return it to? Audubon describes a makeshift nest: a small basket such as a berry basket, lined with soft material like a towel, with small drainage holes, tied securely to the tree. Cornell and MassWildlife also describe a replacement nest. Other agencies say to call a rehabilitator instead (see below).
- Watch from far away. Audubon says parents may stay away until you leave. NestWatch: "Do not wait near the nest or nestling to see if the parents will return."
- Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator right away for an injured bird, or if the parents do not come back. Cornell also lists a nest you cannot find and a bird you are certain is orphaned. USFWS: "Always call ahead and make arrangements before transporting an animal."
- Injured or caught by a cat? Also: bleeding, shivering, a visible broken limb or a dead parent nearby (USFWS, Audubon Rockies, Cornell).
- Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and call ahead before transporting (USFWS). See "Finding a rehabilitator" below.
- Feathered, hops and grips? Fledglings are feathered and hop or flutter; nestlings cannot hop or grip firmly (Cornell, NY DEC).
- Fledgling: leave it, keep pets indoors (Cornell, NestWatch, USFWS). Moving it to nearby cover is disputed; see the table below.
- Nestling: put it back in the nest; handling is fine (Cornell, Audubon, MassWildlife, USFWS).
- No nest: a makeshift nest (Audubon, Cornell, MassWildlife), leave it or move it into shade (USFWS), or call a rehabilitator (NY DEC, Audubon Rockies).
- Watch from a distance. How long to wait ranges from two hours to 24 hours by source; NestWatch says not to wait nearby at all.
Where the sources disagree
| Question | What each source says |
|---|---|
| Nestling with no nest to return to | Build a replacement: Cornell (a new nest), Audubon (a lined berry basket with drainage holes tied to the tree), MassWildlife (a substitute nest in the same tree or shrub). USFWS: leave it where you found it or move it to a shaded area. NY DEC: do not approach; call a wildlife rehabilitator. Audubon Rockies: if you cannot reach the nest, contact a licensed rehabilitator. |
| How long to wait for the parents | Audubon: take further action if no adult appears within two hours. Kentucky: contact a rehabilitator if the parents have not returned after most of a day of watching. Texas Parks and Wildlife: wait at least 24 hours if you suspect abandonment. NestWatch: do not wait near the bird at all, because "If you are too close, they will not come back." |
| Moving a fledgling out of danger | Cornell: place it on a nearby perch out of harm's way. Audubon, quoting Tod Winston of New York City Audubon: move it only to a slightly safer spot nearby where the parents can reach it. MassWildlife: if it is near a road, move it to cover such as a shrub. Audubon Rockies: leave it unless predators are an immediate danger. NY DEC: watch from a safe spot and do not step in. |
| Picking up and carrying a bird yourself | A federal rule (50 CFR 21.76) lets anyone who finds a sick, injured or orphaned migratory bird take it "for immediate transport to a permitted rehabilitator or licensed veterinarian"; USFWS calls this the Good Samaritan provision. Texas Parks and Wildlife: "Please do not attempt to pick up, transport or rehabilitate native wildlife on your own," and says doing so is illegal; call TPWD or a TPWD-permitted rehabilitator. Kentucky: remove wildlife only if it is in obvious need of medical care. |
All of them agree on the basics: a fledgling is usually fine where it is, a nestling belongs in its nest, and an injured bird needs a licensed rehabilitator. For anything in between, follow your own state agency or the rehabilitator you call.
The legal side
This is a summary of federal and state agency guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ by state; ask your state wildlife agency if you are unsure.
- Federal: caring for migratory birds requires a federal rehabilitation permit. USFWS lists at least 100 hours of hands-on experience over a full year among the requirements, and notes that a federal permit "is not valid unless you are also in compliance with State requirements." Most states also require permits or licenses, training and approved facilities (USFWS). For how federal law treats nests themselves, see when to clean out birdhouses.
- New York: "Licensed wildlife rehabilitators are the only people legally allowed to receive and treat distressed wildlife" (NY DEC, 2026).
- Massachusetts: "nearly all wild birds and mammals are protected by law and they may not legally be taken from the wild or kept as pets"; a person with an injured animal "must deliver the animal immediately to a licensed rehabilitator" (MassWildlife, 2026).
- Kentucky: "It is illegal to remove wildlife from the wild unless you are a permitted wildlife rehabilitator."
- Texas: handling, transporting or rehabilitating native wildlife on your own is illegal, according to a TPWD game warden (2024).
NestWatch's advice covers all of this in one line: "do not keep or attempt to raise any wild birds that you find."
Do not feed it or give it water
NestWatch says "Do not try to feed the bird yourself": an incorrect diet "can cause deformities, disease, or even death," and young birds "need to be fed several times every hour, all day long." Do not force-feed water either; young birds get their water from their food (NestWatch). Audubon adds that baby birds need constant feeding and care and are best left to their parents or to trained professionals.
Finding a licensed wildlife rehabilitator
- Animal Help Now is a wildlife emergency service for anywhere in the United States. Its listings come mostly from state and federal rehabilitation licensee lists, updated weekly, and it ranks helpers who are available at the time you ask. If no wildlife helper is nearby, it suggests calling local emergency veterinarians, animal control or shelters.
- Your state wildlife agency. Many state conservation agencies keep a list of licensed rehabilitators (USFWS). Examples from the sources here: New York DEC's Special Licenses search, Texas Parks and Wildlife's list by county (check nearby counties too), Kentucky's rehabilitator list and its Information Center at 1-800-858-1549 on weekdays, and MassWildlife's find-a-rehabilitator page. USFWS's Southeast page links the agency pages of ten southeastern states.
- A quick search: Cornell suggests your state name plus "wildlife rehabilitation."
For an adult bird stunned by a window, the steps differ; see if a bird hits your window. For what a healthy young robin looks like as it grows, see the American Robin profile.
Checklist
- Checked for injury, cat contact, shivering or a dead parent
- Pets brought indoors
- Nestling or fledgling identified
- Nestling returned to its nest (handling is fine)
- Fledgling left where it is, or only moved per your state's guidance
- Watching from a distance, not standing next to it
- No food, no water, not kept at home
- Rehabilitator found (Animal Help Now or state list) and called before transport
Sources
- I found a baby bird. What do I do? — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- What should I do if I see a young bird out of the nest? — NestWatch FAQ, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- What to Do With a Baby Bird (Catherine Griffin, 2012) — National Audubon Society
- The Dos and Don'ts of Helping Baby and Injured Birds (Zach Hutchinson, 2020) — Audubon Rockies
- What to do if you find a baby bird, injured or orphaned wildlife (2022) — US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Injured or Orphaned Wildlife in the Southeast (2021) — US Fish and Wildlife Service
- 3-200-10b: Migratory Bird Rehabilitation (permit) — US Fish and Wildlife Service
- 50 CFR § 21.76 Rehabilitation permits — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- DEC Reminds New Yorkers to Help Keep Wildlife and People Safe: If You Care, Leave It There (May 29, 2026) — New York State DEC
- What to do when you find young wildlife (May 5, 2026) — MassWildlife
- Injured and Orphaned Wildlife — Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
- Ask a Warden: What Do I Do if I Find a Baby Bird? (Wei-Wei Lin, March 2024) — Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine
- Resources and FAQ — Animal Help Now