A few years back, well maybe more than a few, I volunteered as a wildlife rehabilitator. There are many kind-hearted, well-meaning people in the gardening world. One of the hardest things was to get people to do nothing, not to rescue the common wildlife in their backyard.

After working hard to provide the necessary food, water, cover, and nest-sites to create a backyard wildlife habitat, making their garden wildlife friendly, they spot a baby blue jay hopping around the garden. It's unable to fly. What should they do? What would you do?

Do Nothing! Baby blue jays almost never need rescuing, even though they have stubby, short tails and down showing where feathers should be. They come out of the nest early and learn to fly from the ground, up.

Read the whole story here.
Don't Help Baby Birds

Abandoned Baby Birds

“ I JUST FOUND AN ABANDONED BABY BIRD “

By, Rick Kedenburg – NYS Wildlife Rehabilitator

This is a common phrase heard by Wildlife Rehabilitators each spring. The person on the other end of the line then usually asks, “What should I do?" The surprising answer is Nothing.

There are many myths about birds, some work to their disadvantage. Let’s try to dispel some of them now. First, when I tell people to do nothing I am not being heartless. Most passerines – chiefly our woodland perching birds – do partially fledge from their nests before they can truly fly. The reason for this is confusing. Some speculate that after a period of time the nest becomes fowl and emits an odor. This would make the young more susceptible to predation by such animals as the Raccoon and snake. For whatever reason they do jump early and this is normal. The young birds can usually fly a short distance and quickly make for the nearest hedgerow or other cover. The parents continue to look after and feed the young at these lower perches. They are learning all the time from their parents how to forage and fend for themselves. They also learn of the specific songs and calls of their species. Essential things to know in the bird world.

A person in all good conscience may believe they are helping a baby that has no parents and will scoop them up and try to take them to a proper shelter. Humans can of course feed and raise them, but these birds stand a much lower chance of survival than those raised by their own parents. Sometimes by happenstance baby birds that cannot fly at all do accidentally fall out of the nest. Many people say that they would put them back in the nest but the young will have the smell of humans and be abandoned. This is another myth. Most birds, Vultures and others excepted, do not have a sense of smell. Birds rely mostly on their senses of sight and sound for their survival. It’s perfectly all right to put the babies right back into the nest. If the whole nest has fallen, place it and the young back in the original position or as high up as you can safely manage. Remember this, birds raised by humans become imprinted. This means they think they are human. Because of this they are not wary of humans and other predators and have an extremely low survival rate. Keeping intervention to a minimum is the best thing you can do for any wildlife, young or mature.

For more information on this topic please visit Care of Young Wildlife - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

What to Do if You Find a Baby Bird
How to tell a nestling from a fledgling, whether it's OK to handle a baby bird, how to move a hatchling to safety even if you can't reach its nest, and how to locate a wildlife rehabilitator.
Here's the link
Birder's World - What to Do if You Find a Baby Bird -

SO, YOU HAVE FOUND A BABY BIRD?
WHAT TO DO!!
(Most of this information will apply to an adult bird as well)

First – the LAW!
Wild birds are protected by state and federal laws.
It is illegal to keep them, or to remove their nests until the babies have fledged.
If you find an injured or orphaned bird you may, however, help the bird and get it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible.
Here's the link
BirdRescue


Bird Language: A Path to Awareness
by Alexia Stevens
A NatureSkills.com exclusive.

Listening to birds allows us to become aware of animal activity, to sneak up on wildlife or unsuspecting friends, and to enhance our senses. In my year at Wilderness Awareness School’s Residential Program, in Duvall, Washington, I explored the school’s teachings about birds and awareness. I’ll share some of bird language basics with you. Soon, you’ll be able to tell when a hawk is about to fly out of the trees or when a deer is sneaking away from you.
Here's the link
Bird Language Basics

Recognizing Signs
Before taking home, it is also necessary to observe the gravity of the situation. If the birdie is showing any one of the following symptoms then you should prepare yourself for "baby bird rescue":
The link
Tips for Feeding Baby Birds


When you decide to hand feed baby birds, you are taking on a major responsibility. The lives of these little babies are dependent on your actions. The commitment involved is enormous and time consuming. However, it is also very rewarding to see these helpless little creatures become happy, healthy adults.

The full wording here
HANDFEEDING BASICS


Arty
BrokenWing Wildlife & Exotic & Pigeon Rescue & Rehab

That was very helpful Arty.
I have tons of birds visit my yard. Four feeders, two water baths. Only one tree since the hurricane took seven.
Many birds do fine without the help of humans. I have a blackbird with one leg visit daily. I'm pretty sure it took care of itself or was born that way.