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A fledgling songbird is a “teenaged” baby robin, sparrow, starling, finch, etc. These babies often have a fleshy white, pink, or yellow “lip” around the edge of their beak. They may open their mouths wide and chirp to beg for food.

Fledglings are older babies, so they already have most of their feathers. Their tail feathers are still very short, and they may have naked patches under their wings or on their belly.  Some species may have a bit of white or grey fluffy down poking out, especially around their head.

Are you sure it’s a baby?

Just because the bird you’ve found is small (or even tiny!) it might not be a baby.

Small adult birds like kinglets, warblers, and vireos may weigh less than 10 grams, but they’re all grown up! These birds will have smooth feathers with no fluffy down, a long tail compared to their body size, and while they might sometimes vocalize when captured, they won’t chirp continuously or open their mouths to beg for food. If you found the bird between the months of October and April, there’s a good chance it is an adult.

For more information, please visit our page on distinguishing small adult birds from baby birds.

If you think the bird you’ve found is an adult, please go to our page on helping small injured birds. 

Is the baby bird injured?

A fledgling baby bird with any of the following signs is injured and needs medical attention:

  • There are obvious wounds or blood on their body
  • They have had contact with a cat – even with no obvious injuries, this is a medical emergency for baby birds
  • The bird is lying on its side and cannot right itself
  • They cannot stand, hop, or perch
  • The bird is covered in bugs or insects
  • They feel cold to the touch
  • The bird is fluffy, looks “sleepy”, and doesn’t perk up or try to get away when you approach them.

To keep the baby bird(s) safe while you figure out how to help them, put them in a small cardboard box (no cages) with a soft towel. Even when indoors, or on a warm day, babies can get cold and even hypothermic, so give them a direct heat source:

  • a clean sock filled with dry, uncooked rice, and microwaved for one minute
  • a plastic bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid from the recycling bin filled with hot tap water and wrapped in a tea towel or face cloth and secured in the box so that it does not squish the bird
  • an electric heating pad set to “LOW” and placed under half of the box.
  • chemical hand warmers (e.g. Hot Paws) that stay warm for up to 8 hours

Do not give them any food or water – right now keeping them warm in a dark and quiet place is more important.

Contact a wildlife rehabilitator right away. Please note that due to limited resources, Toronto Wildlife Centre is not able to admit baby songbirds. After reading the information on this website, if you determine that the baby songbird is injured (as listed above) or if reuniting is not an option or has failed, you will need to seek assistance from another wildlife rehabilitator – please see the OMNRF list of authorized wildlife rehabilitators and/or the map on our website for more information.

Fledgling red-winged blackbird

Adult warbler

If the baby is not injured, it may still be possible to reunite them with their parents. Read on.

What’s normal?

Most baby birds leave the nest before they can fly. Surprised? It actually makes a lot of sense! Babies stuck in a nest are vulnerable to any predator who comes along, and to changes in weather. The sooner they can leave the nest, the faster they can start learning to hide from danger, look for shelter, and find food. Even though they can’t fly, they can hop and move around and hide, and their parents are still taking care of them while they’re learning.

A human baby doesn’t take its first steps and then run a marathon the same day.  For a baby bird, learning to fly is a process that can take a while and have a few false starts. And just like a human baby, a baby bird’s mom and dad help them out along the way.

Fledgling blue jay

If you have found a fledgling songbird

If the fledgling bird is bright and alert, hops well and flaps its wings, and tries to get away from you, they are probably okay. Monitor from a distance to see if the parents are coming down to feed them — watching from inside is even better. Most birds will feed their babies every 10-30 minutes, but you should watch for at least 2 hours — especially if you already contained the baby before reading this and have just put them back. Some birds, like robins and red-winged blackbirds, can be very vocal and bold about protecting their babies when you are around. Others, like starlings or grackles, may be a bit more secretive. Watch carefully, but make sure you’re not so close that you’re scaring the parents off.

The “Poop Test”

If you don’t see parents near the fledgling, and you’re unable to monitor the baby bird to see if the parents are caring for them, you can try the “poop test”. Gently contain the fledgling; draping a tea towel over top of them and carefully picking them up is the easiest way to capture them. Have a box lined with white paper or paper towel and put them inside. Baby birds poop regularly and if the parents have been feeding the baby, they should poop within 20 minutes.

A healthy bird poop is moist and white with a dark spot in the middle. If the bird does not poop after 1 hour, or if the poop is dry or green, there could be cause for concern and you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator. If the poop is healthy, release them immediately where you found them, preferably in a hidden area such as a shrub or tall grasses. Please note that the poop test is only accurate if the baby bird has not been fed by humans.

When to get help

If after 2 hours, there is no sign of the parents, or if the poop test has failed,  contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice. Please note that due to limited resources, Toronto Wildlife Centre is not able to admit baby songbirds. After reading the information on this website, if you determine that the baby songbird needs help (the parents are not caring for them), you will need to seek assistance from another wildlife rehabilitator – please see the OMNRF list of authorized wildlife rehabilitators and/or the map on our website for more information.

What if the fledgling is in an unsafe spot?

If the fledgling is in an open area with nowhere to hide (an open lawn, a sidewalk, a parking lot or driveway), it’s okay to direct them toward a spot with a bit more shelter. It may help to cover the fledgling with a towel or scarf to catch it. Take them to a bush, low tree, or flowerbed nearby. At this stage baby birds are mobile, and their parents are used to looking around for them and communicating by calling back and forth. Make sure not to move them too far — within easy visual distance, or not more than about 20 feet. Fledglings should not be moved across roads as there’s a good chance they will cross the road trying to come back if their parent or original nest site is on the other side, putting them at risk of being hit by a car.

Even in the most urban areas, there is usually a flower planter, a hedge, or a patch of weeds that is a suitable spot for a fledgling bird to hide.

Monitor from a distance for parents coming back to feed the baby. Most birds will feed their babies every 10-30 minutes, but you should watch for at least 2 hours — especially if you already contained the baby before reading this and have just put them back. You can also try the “poop test” as outlined above.

If there is no sign of the parents after 2 hours, the poop test has failed, or if there is literally nowhere safe to put the baby bird,  contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice. Please note that due to limited resources, Toronto Wildlife Centre is not able to admit baby songbirds. After reading the information on this website, if you determine that the baby songbird needs help, you will need to seek assistance from another wildlife rehabilitator – please see the OMNRF list of authorized wildlife rehabilitators and/or the map on our website for more information.

MYTH! If you touch a baby bird, its parents will not abandon it. Birds are excellent parents. All they want is their baby back.

What if there are cats or other predators around?

It’s true that fledgling baby birds are vulnerable to predators, especially free-roaming pet cats and feral cats. Cats are not a natural predator in our part of the world (they were introduced here by people only a few hundred years ago). Native birds evolved their fledging process long before cats were in the picture.

That said, it isn’t fair to steal a baby bird away from their parents because something might happen to the bird in the future. Their mom and dad are going to take much better care of the baby than any human possibly could.

If you have a pet cat that goes outdoors, please think about the wildlife – like fledglings – that may lose their life as a result. Consider walking your cat on a leash, building outdoor enclosure (“catio”), or provide direct supervision (e.g. within arm’s reach of the cat) when the cat is outdoors. At minimum, that cat should not be allowed to roam outdoors until the baby is able to fly and evade predators. However, other wildlife will still be at risk.

We all love cats at Toronto Wildlife Centre, but we are against allowing them to roam freely outdoors unsupervised for the welfare of wildlife, as well as the welfare of the cat. Please visit our page on keeping cats and wildlife safe for more information.

If it’s a neighbour’s cat, talk to them and explain the situation. Share the above webpage with them, too. They might be willing to alter their behaviours if it means saving a baby bird’s life.

If the fledgling has already been caught or had contact with a cat, even if you don’t see any injuries, get it contained and contact a wildlife rehabilitator right away. Cats have a lot of bacteria in their mouth, and even a tiny puncture wound can cause a deadly infection.

Fledgling cedar waxwings

Should I leave food or water for the baby bird?

No. Baby birds don’t drink water, they get their hydration through the food their parents feed them. Giving them water, even through a syringe runs the risk of aspiration. Also, baby birds must be fed in a very specific way and improper feeding can also cause aspiration.

Leaving food (like bread) or water near the baby bird can attract predators like raccoons, skunks, or outdoor cats. If you want to help the birds out, stay clear of the area until the babies learn to fly, and keep pets away. Planting bushes with fruits on them, or flowers with large edible seed heads, can help birds that choose to nest in your area in the future. Remember that most birds feed their babies larval insects — not using pesticides is also a great way to help bird families! For more tips on creating healthy, eco-friendly spaces for birds, check out our #BackyardBiodiversity page!

If you’ve tried to reunite the baby but the parents haven’t come back, or there’s literally nowhere safe to put it, or the baby is injured, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.

In the meantime, keep the baby in a dark, quiet spot. Make sure it has a heat source (like a hot water bottle), and don’t give it anything to eat or drink. Further information on temporary care instructions can be found here.