Found a young bird: what should you do?

Have you found a young bird? First, wait and observe the situation.

Young birds may look helpless, especially when their feathers are not fully developed. Many leave the nest before they can fly well. In general, leave the bird where you found it at first. It may still be calling to its parents, who will return to care for it once people move away. Watch from a safe distance.

If the bird faces immediate danger, such as traffic or a predator, you can carefully pick it up and place it in a sheltered spot such as a hedge. Do not take it far from where you found it, so its parents can still locate it. If the bird is injured or its parents do not return to care for it after several hours, contact an appropriate wildlife rescue centre, such as a NABU wild bird centre.

Raising a young bird is intensive, lengthy and difficult. It should be left to trained rescue specialists.

Please contact the Rödiger team if you have any questions.