16/09/2026
Spring is here! 🦜
We are already seeing a huge influx of fledgling birds being brought into the clinic. While we love how much our community cares, many of these babies are exactly where they are supposed to be and their parents are often looking after them from the treetops while they figure out how to use their wings.
🤩 Here is how you can help us give them the best chance of survival:
1. Nestling vs. Fledgling: Do they need help?
Nestling (Needs help): Tiny, bald, or fluffy. Cannot hop or walk. Always need help if on the ground.
Fledgling: Fully feathered with short tails. They spend days on the ground learning to fly after they leave the nest and this is completely normal.
2. Always check for parents first!
Mum and Dad are usually watching from a distance and gathering food.
🤔What to do: Keep pets inside, step back, and watch quietly for 30 minutes -1 hour. Most of the time, the parents will swoop down to feed them.
3. When to bring them to us:
Only bring a bird to the clinic if it is injured, in immediate danger, or you are certain no parents have returned after a few hours.
4. Note the exact location!
📍If you must bring a fledgling in, please pin or write down the exact address/spot where you found it. This is important as wildlife carers always aim to reunite healthy chicks with their parents or release them into the location they were found once they are healthy and able to care for themselves. If we don’t know where they live, we can't get them home!
🙏Thank you for helping us keep our beautiful Hills wildlife safe this spring! If you're ever unsure, just give our team a call before picking the bird up.
*Please remember that this year we should also consider the risk of H5N1 avian influenza, and the current recommendation is not to touch sick birds. If in doubt, call the emergency animal disease hotline on 1800 675 888.
