Spot a bird on the ground?Southern Utah wildlife authorities give tips

Salt Lake City It’s a beautiful spring day, so you decide to take a walk in your neighborhood. I was walking along the sidewalk when I suddenly heard a loud chirping at my feet. A small bird lies on the ground near the trunk of a tree.

what should you do? According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, it’s not uncommon to find baby birds on the ground this time of year.

Many birds are hatching, often leaving the nest before being able to fly. Some may also be blown out of their nests during spring thunderstorms.

Jason Jones, migratory bird coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said baby birds often chirp in their nests, waiting for their parents to bring them food, and sometimes they become excited or agitated, causing them to fall from their perches.

The most common baby birds seen by Utah residents are robins, which nest in trees, and swallows, which build mud nests in eaves and sides of homes.

Wildlife officials recently announced in a media release some tips for those looking for baby birds, including:

• If it has no feathers, put it back in the nest
• If the bird is small and still featherless, you should return it to the nest. If the nest cannot be found, place the bird safely on a branch out of reach of dogs and cats.

Unlike other wildlife species, residents don’t need to worry about leaving their scent on the birds. Most birds don’t have a good sense of smell, so if you pick up a baby bird, its parents won’t even know you’ve handled it.

Babies will scream loudly and parents will notice it, Jones said.

However, Utahns should never take the birds home. Most birds are protected by state and federal laws, and in Utah it is illegal to possess wildlife without a special permit.

If it has feathers, leave it alone

If the bird is hopping around, you have found a bird that is hardly a bird anymore. These young birds are called fledglings. They already have most of their flight feathers and are very close to taking their first flight.

If the bird is not in danger, leave it where you found it. This awkward jumping phase usually lasts two to five days. This is part of the natural process that baby birds go through before they take their first flight. The parents feed the bird while watching it.

If you think the chick is in immediate danger, carefully move it to a safer location nearby. If you can’t catch the bird, though, forget about it.

Don’t feed the birds

Although parents can feed a baby bird, you should not try to give it food. Birds have very specific diets and feeding them something that is not part of their diet may kill them.

While robins and some bird species can safely eat bugs, others cannot, Jones said. Therefore, do not attempt to feed small birds or other wildlife you encounter. You may think you’re helping them, but this often does more harm than good.

Simply place the baby bird back on a branch or nest and let its parents feed it. Do not disturb or move a nest with eggs or baby birds inside. While birds nesting under the eaves of a building may seem like a nuisance, disturbing a nest containing eggs or baby birds is illegal and you may be charged.

You can take steps to prevent birds from nesting on your home or property, but you must do this before the nesting season begins. Once the birds are established and roosting in a nest, and there are eggs or baby birds in the nest, you will need to wait until the baby birds leave the nest before removing them to prevent future nesting.

Baby duck?

If you find a duckling on the ground that looks like it has been separated from its parents, do not move it or try to put it in the water. Ducklings should be left alone unless they are trapped in a storm drain or other dangerous location, such as a swimming pool.

If you do spot a duckling in a storm drain, you can contact the nearest DWR office to make a report or contact your city officials.

Avian Influenza

Songbirds are generally not affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, so people do not have to remove bird feeders unless they have chickens or ducks in their backyard that are susceptible to the virus.

However, it is always recommended for people who enjoy bird watching to clean their bird feeders and tubs regularly.

Outdoor recreationists in southern Utah who see a flock of five or more dead birds should Report to the nearest DWR office. Officials say do not touch or pick up the birds.

For more information on how to safely handle encounters with baby birds, visit wild consciousness utah website.

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