JACKSON, Wyo. — Spring means baby bird season is here, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reminds residents to keep a distance when sighting a bird’s nest or fledglings on the ground.
“Watching birds build a nest, lay eggs and raise their chicks is a wonderful way to experience the joy of nature in your own neighborhood, but be sure to keep your distance,” Fish and Wildlife wrote via social media. “If the adult birds are reacting to your presence, you’re too close. If they’re disturbed too much the parents might abandon the nest.”
As birds get bigger, they outgrow the nest and need room to move around, flap their wings and learn to fly. These more developed birds are fledglings and they can easily be identified by their more developed feathers. They can hop and flutter on their own. Fledglings don’t need help – their parents are nearby and still caring for them. Be sure to give them plenty of space.
According to the Teton Raptor Center, fledglings will be out and about over the next few weeks. After the birds hatch, they spend up to two weeks on the ground receiving food and protection from their parents from afar. Well-intentioned humans often think that a bird is abandoned or orphaned when they see them on the ground, but that is not always the case.
For raptors, human interaction during the fledgling period of life can be extremely detrimental, especially if they are fed by humans. The phenomenon known as imprinting means that baby raptors will identify with whatever feeds them. Eagles, osprey, hawks, ducks, geese and owls all imprint as babies. If they are fed or cared for by humans they will not be able to survive in the wild.
“Remember, when a songbird has babies, the babies might not sing right away, but they are still note-worthy,” Fish and Wildlife said via Facebook.
Those who come across an injured baby bird on the ground, can call the Teton Raptor Center or the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Do not try to feed or touch the bird.
