Wildlife Rescue Series!

Bonzo called in a panic on Sunday. “Hey, bird lady! Help me! There’s a baby robin on my grass that fell out of its nest and I don’t know what to do? CALL ME!”

It may be of interest to some readers to know that Bonzo (the Great), one of my best friends literally since birth (our mothers went to school together and got pregnant at almost exactly the same time … coincidence? we think not!), is the primary real-life model for the character of Amy in Jane Ray’s Wildlife Rescue Series. Except Amy is a little more buxom than Bonzo is.

Bonzo’s going to kill me for that.

So I came home to find that message on my voicemail, along with a second, even more despairing one:

“Buffi! [That’s me.] CALL ME! I’ve been attacked! I picked the baby robin up in a towel so I wouldn’t touch it so the parents wouldn’t reject it, and tried to put it back in the nest, and the parents attacked me! They’re evil! I freaked out and left the baby in the grass. Now one of the psycho parents has hopped down to the other end of the yard, and the baby went with it. It can’t fly! It’ll never get back into the nest! Buffi, call me! CALL…” BEEP.

I called.

And here’s what I said:

“Bonz, turn to your Flory’s Files, girlfriend! Everything you need to know about rescuing a baby bird is right there at the back of Crow Medicine!” Okay, I was a bit more helpful than that.
And now, here’s EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RESCUING A BABY BIRD:

Wild bird babies should be with their parents. Animal parents do a much better job of raising their young than humans can (so don’t think you’ve just found a new pet!). If you find a nestling:

1. Try to locate the nest, and gently place the bird in it. Be gentle, but don’t worry about touching the baby with your bare hands. It’s a myth that bird parents will reject a baby handled by humans. (However, mammals are a very different story!)

2. Watch for the parent. If the parent does not return within two hours, the baby may be orphaned. If the parents attack, as they did with Bonzo, try to understand that they’re just doing their job–trying to protect the fallen baby and the babies still in the nest. Don’t attack back, but if it helps, do what Bonzo did, and put on a hat and sunglasses to protect yourself from pecks and scratches.

3. If the baby appears to be orphaned, call your nearest wildlife rescue centre for further instructions (you have the number posted near your phone, right?).

4. If the nest has been destroyed, fashion a makeshift nest for your baby bird and call your wildlife centre for help.

5. If you can’t locate the nest, contact your wildlife centre and take the baby bird there. Use a small, lined box with breathing holes poked into the lid. The baby cannot survive without its parents and will need the help of a professional rehabilitator.

Next post: How to tell a nestling from a fledgling, and what to do if you find a fledgling!