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.