This morning I picked up a very young Coopers Hawk nestling. A Nestling is so young that it can’t fly or even ready to attempt to fly. It can be newly hatched to a few weeks old but definitely dependent on it’s parents. Baby birds are fuzzing, poorly coordinated in their movements and can’t feed themselves. They are babies. They need their parents to learn to be the bird they were meant to be, to learn to hunt and find food, to know what to be afraid of and avoid danger. They need to grow up and find a mate.
The best possible solution is to put it back in the nest. The parents can’t pick it up so you will have to find the nest and put the baby in it. It is a myth about parents will reject the baby if they smell you on it. They just want their baby back.
Alternate Plan B, when you can’t find the nest, it”s time to be creative and make up a basket or other container to put the baby in, back in the area where it was found. Put it back then walk away. The parents will come down to the baby once you are out of the area. Don’t check on it, don’t disturb it. Leave it alone.
It is not always necessary to rescue a baby animal that is in no apparent distress. Baby animals are often left for short periods while the parent find food. And just because you haven’t seen the parent come back, does not mean they have not been there. In many species both parents will care for the young. So give Nature a chance, PUT IT BACK.
