Look at the bird’s physical features
The first step in identifying a baby bird is to look closely at its physical features. Some key things to note:
- Size – Is the bird very small like a hummingbird? Or is it larger like a crow? This will help narrow down options.
- Beak shape – Does the beak look thick and strong like a raptor? Or is it slender like a songbird?
- Feet – Are the feet scaly like a chicken? Webbed like a duck? With long legs like a heron?
- Wings – Are they long and pointed like a swallow? Or short and rounded like a quail?
- Color patterns – Even baby birds have some distinctive colors and patterns.
- Feathering – Pay attention to how developed the feathers are. Just hatched birds have downy fuzz.
Observing physical traits is an important first step toward identifying the species. If you can snap a clear photo that captures the details, even better.
Consider behavior clues
In addition to physical features, the bird’s behavior can provide clues:
- Is the bird hopping along the ground? Many ground-dwelling species like quail and grouse start out this way.
- Is it climbing up a tree trunk? That’s typical of woodpeckers and nuthatches.
- Does it swim or wade skillfully in water? It may be a duckling or heron.
- Is the baby flapping clumsy, short flights? Songbirds like robins fledge at a young age.
- Is the bird silent and still, waiting patiently to be fed? Raptors like owls behave this way.
Of course baby birds may not show their natural behaviors if they are injured, starving, or abandoned. But if the bird seems active and healthy, its habits can provide clues.
Consider the time of year
The season when you find a baby bird also helps identify possibilities. Here are some examples:
- Mid-spring is prime season for songbird hatchlings that fledge quickly like robins and sparrows.
- Late spring through summer you may find young wading birds near water like herons and egrets.
- Game bird young like quail and grouse start running around in late spring/early summer.
- Summer often brings hatchlings of birds like swallows, swifts, and flycatchers.
- In summer and fall, expect to see young raptors exploring the world outside the nest.
- Ground-nesting shorebirds hatch mid-to-late summer along beaches and marshes.
If you have found a baby bird far outside the normal breeding season for that species, it could be a sign of trouble rather than a healthy fledgling.
Listen for vocalizations
Young birds may start trying out their species’ songs and calls while still developing. If you can recognize even simple chips, peeps, or raucous noises the bird makes, this can confirm what species it is. Listen for:
- Loud demanding squawks – Grackles and jays
- High pitched peeps and whistles – Many songbirds from chickadees to finches
- Harsh screeching or screaming – Raptors like hawks, falcons, and owls
- Distinctive chips and rattles – Woodpeckers and kingfishers
- Honking – Geese and ducks
- Cooing – Doves and pigeons
- Mournful wails – Loons
Never pick up a baby bird to identify it, as this may distress the parents and cause them to abandon it. But listening from a distance can offer helpful clues.
Consider the location found
Where you found the baby bird provides hints about what species it may be:
- Cup-shaped nest up in a tree – Many songbirds nest this way including robins, finches, sparrows
- Ground nest amid grasses and shrubs – Quail, pheasant, sparrows
- Burrow or cavity – Owls, kingfishers, bluebirds
- Nest box – Swallows, chickadees, some ducks
- Cliff ledge – Falcons, eagles, ravens
- Marshy area – Herons, bitterns, rails
- Near water – Most duck and goose species
- Beach areas – Plovers, terns, seabirds
Take note of where the baby was found as this provides a logical starting point for identifying possibilities.
Gauge the bird’s age
A baby bird’s age affects how developed it looks and how it behaves:
Age | Appearance and Abilities |
---|---|
Newly hatched | Covered in down, eyes closed, weak neck control |
5-7 days old | Downy, eyes open, starts sitting up |
2 weeks old | Feathers begin growing, starts walking/hopping |
3 weeks old | Mostly feathered, tries flapping wings, tempted to leave nest |
4 weeks old | Fully feathered, able to hop/walk well, ready to fledge from nest |
Knowing roughly how old a baby bird is will help you determine what stage of development is normal.
Consult an expert guide
For definitive identification, use a bird guide that shows juvenile birds such as:
- National Audubon Society’s Field Guide to Birds
- Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America
- The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern/Western North America
- Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America
These guides show bird species in all plumages including youth. Compare your observations of the baby bird to pictures and descriptions.
Seek help from rehabbers
Found an injured or ill baby bird? Get expert help:
- Call a local wildlife rehabilitator for rescue advice
- Follow their instructions for safe capture and handling
- Get the bird to rehabbers quickly for care
- Provide details on where you found the bird and its condition
Licensed rehabbers have the expertise to identify, treat, and raise baby birds. They can confirm the species and raise the chick until it can be released.
Leave healthy fledglings be
If the baby bird appears fully feathered, active and alert, able to hop/fly short distances, and in no distress, it is likely a young fledgling being monitored by its parents nearby. In this case, leave the bird alone and do not attempt capture. The parents are still feeding and caring for it while it gains independence.
Wait and watch
Unsure if a baby bird is in trouble? Observe it for 30-60 minutes before intervening:
- Watch to see if parents come to feed it.
- Note whether it can hop away from perceived danger.
- Check if it moves to shade/cover when stressed.
- See if it is feathers, alert, and calling.
If the bird seems lively and parents are attending it, there’s no need to intervene. The parents know best how to raise it.
Create a makeshift nest
If a baby bird did fall from the nest before ready, you can create a substitute nest to give the parents the chance to resume care:
- Make a nest cup from a berry basket/margarine tub lined with grass.
- Attach the tub to a tree near where bird fell, as high as you can reach.
- Gently return the chick to the makeshift nest.
- Watch to confirm parents return to feed it.
- If they do not resume care within an hour, retrieve chick and get it to a rehabber.
This technique works best for nestlings not yet ready to hop or fly. Handle baby birds minimally.
Prepare a transport container
To safely bring a baby bird to a wildlife rehab facility:
- Use a shoebox, small crate or pet carrier
- Line it with soft cloth or towels
- Poke air holes in the container’s sides
- Optionally include a heating pad on low setting
- Secure the lid so bird remains contained
- Keep the box in a quiet, dark place while transporting
Containment helps keep the baby bird safe and secure while traveling.
Provide emergency warmth
If a baby bird feels cold to the touch, first aid steps are:
- Gently return it to the nest if you can.
- If that is not possible, place bird in a ventilated box on a heating pad set on low.
- Put a towel between the bird and pad to prevent overheating.
- Keep the box in a quiet, dark area until you can get the bird to a wildlife rehabilitator.
The key is gradually warming the chick at a safe rate to treat hypothermia. Do not attempt to feed it.
Give emergency hydration
For a dehydrated baby bird showing weak responsiveness:
- Mix an oral rehydration solution of electrolyte powder and room temperature water.
- Draw the fluid into a dropper or syringe without a needle.
- Gently drop or dribble solution along the side of the beak, letting the bird drink at its own pace.
- Target roughly 1-2 ml of fluid per hour based on bird’s size.
- Stop if liquid bubbles out through nostrils.
This emergency hydration buys time until the chick can be assessed by a rehab specialist.
Avoid common mistakes
Well-meaning people often do more harm than good when trying to “rescue” baby birds. Avoid these risky actions:
- Don’t pick up chicks unnecessarily.
- Don’t offer food/water other than rehydration solution.
- Don’t keep the bird at home for long periods.
- Don’t attempt to raise it yourself unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
- Don’t leave babies you think are orphaned outside for monitoring.
Intervention should be rare and only when clearly needed. Seek expert advice quickly.
Act promptly for best outcome
To maximize the bird’s chances of survival and healthy development:
- Assess the situation swiftly but cautiously before intervening.
- Get compromised chicks to licensed wildlife rehabilitators within 2 hours if possible.
- Provide emergency transport heat and hydration only as needed.
- Follow rehabber instructions carefully for capture, handling, and care.
- Check state rules on keeping and raising wild birds at home.
Don’t delay – get appropriate help for babies that genuinely need it!
Enjoy bird families from a distance
The exciting stage when young birds start venturing out of the nest offers fun nature watching opportunities:
- Watch discreetly so parents will continue feeding.
- Use binoculars and spotting scopes for better views.
- Photograph engaging moments like first flights.
- Appreciate the parenting dedication on display.
- Be ready for comic crash landings and clumsy moments.
Fledging season provides joy without needing to intervene. Give young birds space to master life in the wild under their parents’ guidance.
Conclusion
Identifying baby birds and providing appropriate care when needed requires keen observation, discretion, and quick action. Look for distinguishing physical features, behaviors, locations, and vocalizations to start narrowing down ID possibilities. Consult field guides and experts to confirm. Handle chicks minimally and only when truly essential. Finally, enjoy the privilege of witnessing young birds take wing!