When a helping hand isn’t

Nesting season is upon us — that time of year when people often discover (allegedly) “abandoned” baby birds. Usually, however, the birds are not really in trouble until people get it into their heads they have to interfere.

A robin (or any other songbird) discovered on the ground is best ignored. However, if you must meddle, pick it up and place it in the tree above it. Don’t worry about the scent business, the only bird around here that can smell anything is a turkey vulture. Besides that, American Robins are noted for the TLC they provide for a neighbor’s robin that may be hungry and cold.

Newly hatched birds are actually more reptilian than avian, they depend on the parents for shelter, warmth and food. Therefore, the worst thing you can do is allow your curiosity to get the better of you and peek into any bird’s nest. If the day is wet, windy and cool and you scare the adult off — whether there are eggs or young — it is usually good-bye babies; they die from exposure.

It’s the same with hawks, eagles and even owls, when they are newly hatched. The exceptions are waterfowl, wading birds and other precocial species that are ready to run or fly after hatching.

Working with hawks and eagles over the past 50-plus years, I only visit their nests after the young birds outgrow their reptilian phase and have developed the ability to create body heat.

Occasionally I get a surprise…

Several years ago I climbed up to a Great Horned Owl nest to band the young, but to my surprise, found eggs instead. As I was rapidly departing from the scene — all the time trying to avoid being seriously bashed by an over-anxious adult owl — I heard peeping coming from the eggs. A first for me.

Over the years, I have found these big owls to be very agitated just about the time of hatching their eggs. I have a hunch the little ones peep for help, as they need a “helping hand” as they peck through the shell and begin their voyage into their new world of air, food and danger.

If you observe a lone bird on the ground, or on a limb, madly chirping for its parents, (unless there is a cat close by), leave quickly and forget it. Some birds depart from the nest early and are not in trouble. Similarly, robins and other songbirds will take care of an orphan as quickly as they do one of their own nestlings.

Most times, if you invade the robin or other bird’s comfort zone, bedlam breaks out. The adult screams for help and that’s often the signal for everybody to abandon ship! You have fledged the young, whether they were ready to go or not.

Then the rodeo begins. Just catching the frightened nestlings without causing any more harm is a challenge — then what do you do once you’ve caught them? The best course of action is to get them back into the nest as rapidly as possible. If they are young enough they may stay put, if not, they will just jump out repeatedly. It’s a nightmare. You can often get away with placing the youngster on a limb near the nest and then getting out of there.

If you do end up with the bird in your possession, you will have a handful. There is not a rehab center in the area that will take songbirds.

When one of your children comes in all excited with the wonderful news that you have a bird nesting in your backyard — and they’re curious about it like most kids — the best course of action is to stay away and be content to observe it with the aid of binoculars. That way, everyone will have a good time.