During spring and summer, you will hear plenty of advice about ‘kidnapping’ baby birds, and that you should ‘leave it where it is, the parents will look after it’, especially when it comes to baby magpies.
While sometimes this is the case, often it is not.Â
There are many things to consider when deciding whether to leave a baby bird where it is, depending on the species and the situation and the decision is best left to an experienced bird rescuer:
is the bird fully feathered?
can it fly (or at least safely perch on a high branch)?
are the parents around?
are the parents feeding it?
is it safe from predators (e.g. cats, dogs) and other dangers (traffic)?
If the answer is no to any of these questions or the baby bird seems injured or unwell, it should be brought into care. If in doubt, we can bring the baby into care, and as long as we have an exact location where it was found, we can reunite it with its family later.
How to identify baby birds
Nestlings
Nestlings are quite young and may have some feathers starting to develop, but are still largely featherless. Nestlings may still have their eyes closed and are totally reliant on their parents for warmth, food and protection.
The following images show featherless magpie nestlings
The following images show feathered magpie nestlings, that should still be in the nest and are not yet able to perch.Â
Branchlings
Branchling is the stage between being a nestling and a fledgling where baby birds have left the nest but are not yet fully capable of sustained flight. They may hop or flutter from branch to branch near the nest, practicing their flying skills but still rely on their parents for food and protection.
Branchlings can be identified by their very short tail. If they end up on the ground, they will not be able to get back into a tree by themselves. Even if the parents are feeding them on the ground, at night the parents will go off to roost and the baby will be at risk from predators.
The following images show magpie branchlingsÂ
Fledglings
Fledglings are older baby birds that have developed enough feathers to leave the nest and explore their surroundings. They're still dependent on their parents for food, but they're learning to fly and fend for themselves.
They can be identified by their longer tails and may be able to get back into the branches away from danger. If you find a fledgling, it may be okay to leave it - unless they are sick or injured and then they will need to come into care.
The following images show magpie fledglings
