04/06/2026
🐣🐦🐣 It's that time of year again folks - please share!!! 🐣🐦🐣
We've had a few calls about fledglings found in gardens and want to ensure you're all aware of what you should be doing with them. Do remember that we are currently experiencing one of the worst Avian 'Flu outbreaks in recent history so it's particularly important to seek advice before handling any wild bird at the moment.
Fledglings are young birds who have gained their flight feathers but who usually still have a few downy feathers as well - as shown in the first picture. It is COMPLETELY NORMAL to find these outside the nest as part of their flight preparation, so if you see one on the ground that is not injured or in danger PLEASE LEAVE IT ALONE - the parents will probably be nearby. Only intervene if it has been left for over 2 hours or if it appears injured or is in danger - if this is the case phone your local vet for advice.
Nestlings are very young birds who have little to no feathering - they will essentially be bald, as shown in the second photo. These babies should not be out of their nest, so if you find one, please call your local vet.
If you feel you do need to intervene, CALL YOUR LOCAL VET FOR ADVICE FIRST. They may have some special measures in place to be able to admit wild birds due to the Avian Flu risk, and you will need to follow any instructions they give you - this is both to protect the wild bird population but also any caged or housed birds they treat. Before handling the bird, please put on plastic gloves - a plastic bag over your hand will be fine if you don't have any gloves - and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. The risk to people from Avian Flu is extremely low and the wild birds you find in your garden (other than ducks and other water birds) are at low risk from this disease as well, but it is still very important to try and prevent its spread wherever possible.
The following link has some really good information so do have a look!
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/birds/baby
Please please share and let's make sure we do the very best for our precious wild bird populations - thank you ###
