10/07/2026
Fledgling Season is upon us!
If you see a young bird hopping on the ground with feathers, it's probably a fledgling—and that's exactly where it's meant to be. Fledglings leave the nest before they can fly well, while their parents continue feeding and protecting them nearby.
In most cases, the best thing you can do is leave the bird where it is or, if it's in immediate danger (such as on a road or near a cat), move it only a short distance to nearby cover.
Taking healthy fledglings to a veterinary practice or wildlife rescue unnecessarily separates them from their parents, reducing their chances of successful development and placing extra pressure on already overstretched wildlife services.
A bird is more likely to need help if it is:
- Injured or bleeding.
- Clearly sick or unable to stand.
- A featherless or mostly featherless nestling that has fallen from the nest.
- In immediate danger and cannot be moved to a safer nearby spot.
When in doubt, observe from a distance for a while, put down water near by, — parents are often near but won't approach if people are too close.
If it's feathered, hopping, and alert, it's usually best left with its parents!
