Fledgling Birds
Fledgling Guide
Each spring, Project Wildlife receives a flood of calls about "injured" flightless birds found on the ground. In most cases, these birds are not injured — they’re fledglings leaving the nest for the first time! For many birds, this is a natural part of the growth process, and they don’t need any intervention. Finding a fledgling bird is not an emergency, rather a natural stage.
So, how do you determine whether a bird is actually injured or just a fledgling working on becoming airborne? Below are some essential tips to help you make that distinction.
For step by step guidance on whether a fledgling needs intervention, consult our Wildlife Help Hub!
What is a fledgling?
A fledgling bird has reached the "fledge" stage of life, meaning the bird has the feathers and wing muscles sufficient to fly, and they’re no longer nest bound. In this life stage, the young bird appears similar to an adult, except for a few key differences.
When fledglings instinctively leave the nest on their own, or get kicked out by their parents, they are often found on the ground walking around. The bird may appear to be alone, but typically their parents are nearby in trees and will continue to provide care while the youngster builds strength and works out how to fly properly.
How to spot a fledgling?
Bird Can Walk But Can't Fly
It can be startling to find a bird on the ground and not in the air or a tree. However, if the bird can walk around freely, it is more likely to be a fledgling than an injured bird. Keep an eye on it.
Bird Hiding on the Ground
When a bird has been seen in the same place for a day or two and seems to be hiding in the bushes or somewhere out of sight or in a corner, they are most likely a fledgling. Injured birds are not as able to get to a good hiding spot.
Bird Looking Scruffy
During the fledgling stage a bird is often missing feathers and has a scruffy appearance. Often patches of bare skin appear to be missing feathers like in the photo below. This is because the bird is shedding the remaining downy soft feathers (which inhibit flight until they're shed).
Grounded Bird Being Attacked
Friend or foe? Typically, the answer is friend. A bird's parents will continue to protect and feed their fledglings, and this may appear to be a dive-bombing attack. When numerous babies are fledged in the same area, you may even find a flock of moms and dads protecting their young. Beware! A strong peck may await a person who gets too close.
Should I intervene?
How to Respond to Noisy Birds
Zero human intervention is best. Excessive chirping and squawking is common for young birds, and since this is a natural and common experience, the best response is no response at all. These are wild animals — moving or impounding the bird is essentially kidnapping and orphaning them, and will also deprive the bird of experience during a crucial point of their natural development.
While touching the bird will not cause rejection by the parents, handling or interacting with a young bird too much still might permanently scare the parents away.
Abandoned Fledglings
In the event the parents have abandoned a fledgling, If the bird seems to be in a safe place like a bushy area full of foliage, the best advice is to leave the bird alone for another couple days and just monitor to see if they leave or not.