During the breeding season most rehabilitators are inundated with fledging birds brought in as orphans. A very few of those might actually be orphans, but with the vast majority they are in fact birdknapped!

What most people don’t realise is that baby birds very often leave the nest early, sometimes before they can fly. However most of them are blessed with very loud voices and the ability to scramble up trees and branches. So without doubt it is best to leave them alone, because although you may not see her, their mother is probably within sight.

With small garden birds, the biggest danger is cats who kill literally millions of baby birds yearly. If you are a cat owner and you really care – keep your cat indoors during the bird breeding season and you will save hundreds of small garden birds.

Of course there are other dangers as well, but the domestic cat is a huge factor in the decline of garden birds. Young birds of prey are in less danger because they are bigger when they leave, but can still be hurt by cats, dogs, crows and cars.

So if you find a baby bird – what to do? If it is in cover, under a bush, or has somewhere to hide – leave it alone. If it is very exposed and you think might be in danger, gently pick it up and put it in a tree or bush, its mother will find it and care for it I promise.

And NO by picking it up you are not causing the mother to desert because most birds do not have a sense of smell.

Obviously on occasion baby birds will actually be injured as well, so if that is the case, then it is best to take them to a rehabilitator because they will have the time and facilities to rear the young bird without imprinting it and making it unable to be released.

And I am afraid if you get caught purposefully hand rearing an owl so that it can’t go back to the wild, it is an offence and you will get into trouble, so its best to take it to someone who can get it back to the wild.

Often you can help with the process and still be involved with the bird and getting it released again.