Where to get help for other baby birds

If the baby bird you’ve found doesn’t match any of the ones on our species selection page, you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice. They can help you figure out what kind of baby it is, whether it needs help, and how best to help it.

In the meantime, keep the baby bird in a cardboard box with a soft towel or t-shirt. Even on a warm day babies can get cold, so give it a heat source:

• a clean sock filled with dry, uncooked rice, and microwaved for one minute
• a plastic bottle from the recycling bin filled with hot tap water
• an electric heating pad set to “LOW” and placed under half of the box.

Put the box in a dark, quiet spot. Don’t give it any food or water.

Help for other baby birds within the GTA

If you have found an unidentified baby bird within the GTA (including Toronto, York Region, Durham Region, and Halton Region), call our Wildlife Hotline at 416-631-0662 and leave us a message. Our hours are 9am-6pm, seven days a week (yes, even on holidays!).

Some municipalities hold contracts with other wildlife service providers. If you’re a resident of these areas, please use the contact number listed below to request assistance.

if you are in Aurora, Newmarket, or Georgina, please contact 1-877-979-PAWS.

You can find out more about the baby bird you’ve found on our species selection page. 

Help for other baby birds outside of the GTA

There might be another wildlife rehabilitator closer to you who can help. Please check the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s complete listings. 

If you cannot reach a wildlife rehabilitator closer to you, call our Wildlife Hotline at 416-631-0662 and leave us a message. Our hours are 9am-6pm, seven days a week (yes, even on holidays!). Please note that during the spring and summer (when most babies are found) our hotline gets very busy. It may take longer to return calls from further afield.

If you cannot reach a wildlife rehabilitator right away

Keep trying. Wildlife rehabilitators are very busy, especially during the spring and summer. If you get an answering machine, leave a message and make it easy for them to reach you. Call around to others in the area. Be willing to arrange transportation for the animal once a rehabilitator is found. Remember that there is no government funding for wildlife rehabilitation in Ontario, and all rehabilitators are funded entirely by private donations.

You cannot keep the baby bird or care for it yourself – it needs specialized care that you don’t have the means to provide. Keep it in a cardboard box in a dark, quiet, place. Make sure it has a heat source, like a hot water bottle.  Don’t give it any food or water until you’ve spoken to a wildlife rehabilitator.