Seeing a baby bird in distress is never a pleasant experience, and often the more kindhearted among us rescue them, tend to them, and hope they’ll be strong enough to fly away and fend for themselves. However, in some instances, it’s not always a good idea, and adopting wild birds, whether temporarily or permanently, can sometimes do them more harm than good.
As featured by Slate, this video – informed by the New York Wild Bird Fund, the National Aubudon Society, and naturalist and author Leslie Day – will give you all the information you need with regards to avian rescue.
Bird and Moon, a purveyor and producer of science and nature-themed comics and cartoons, has also helpfully manufactured a flow chart that illustrates whether or not you should retrieve a vulnerable-looking baby songbird. If you happen to find a baby dromaeosaur – a distant, usually extinct relative to modern birds – they suggest that you run away before you get eaten.
Should you rescue that baby bird? Bird and Moon