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What to do with fledgling crows?
It's that time of year again. Crow and other avian parents are pushing their babies out of the nest, hoping they'll learn to fly.
I've seen two situations recently where city people didn't know what to do when faced with a fledgling crow on the ground. They thought it was hurt, abandoned, etc. You can tell they're babies because they have blue eyes, their feathers aren't a fully glossy black, and they're a bit smaller than adults (but not by much). They crow hop along and look confused, making feeble attempts to fly. They do stupid, fledgling things like bumping into walls.
Best practice: Leave the fledgling alone. The parents are around. They WILL feed it. In fact, if you stick around, you'll find Mom and Dad squawking and dive bombing your head. Of course, if the parents have done something dumb---like nest over a major road and baby falls out into traffic, scoop it up and put it under the tree. Your scent will not deter the parents; birds have no sense of smell. If there's a low branch, even better. Or you can walk along behind it, gently chasing it into the bushes so it's safer from predators. Don't do what I did the other day: when my mechanic and I tried to shoo a fledgling into the bushes, we convinced him the safest place was the dark undercarriage of my car. We started the car. The current state of my muffler had him out in a flash.
In the rare case you see a broken leg, or the parents haven't appeared for over 24 hours, scoop the fledgling into a cardboard box and take it to a wildlife rehab centre. If you're not sure where one is, call your local SPCA or Humane Society. If you're tempted to bring it in the house and make a pet out of it---this is illegal in most areas. Not to mention unkind.
But 99% of the time, it's best to leave the fledgling alone. Don't swat at Mom and Dad, you could injure them. Just cover your head when you pass by. Those beaks are deadly.
I've seen two situations recently where city people didn't know what to do when faced with a fledgling crow on the ground. They thought it was hurt, abandoned, etc. You can tell they're babies because they have blue eyes, their feathers aren't a fully glossy black, and they're a bit smaller than adults (but not by much). They crow hop along and look confused, making feeble attempts to fly. They do stupid, fledgling things like bumping into walls.
Best practice: Leave the fledgling alone. The parents are around. They WILL feed it. In fact, if you stick around, you'll find Mom and Dad squawking and dive bombing your head. Of course, if the parents have done something dumb---like nest over a major road and baby falls out into traffic, scoop it up and put it under the tree. Your scent will not deter the parents; birds have no sense of smell. If there's a low branch, even better. Or you can walk along behind it, gently chasing it into the bushes so it's safer from predators. Don't do what I did the other day: when my mechanic and I tried to shoo a fledgling into the bushes, we convinced him the safest place was the dark undercarriage of my car. We started the car. The current state of my muffler had him out in a flash.
In the rare case you see a broken leg, or the parents haven't appeared for over 24 hours, scoop the fledgling into a cardboard box and take it to a wildlife rehab centre. If you're not sure where one is, call your local SPCA or Humane Society. If you're tempted to bring it in the house and make a pet out of it---this is illegal in most areas. Not to mention unkind.
But 99% of the time, it's best to leave the fledgling alone. Don't swat at Mom and Dad, you could injure them. Just cover your head when you pass by. Those beaks are deadly.
Tags: baby, bird, birds, crow, crows, feeding, fledgling, injured, rescuing
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