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| Question about Pets:How do you identify a wild fledgling bird? |
By the loction where it is seen (what country, or what section of the country), the size, the field marks, the environment (by a lake, in the woods, on your front lawn, on the beach, etc.), and (most importantly), by the parents who are feeding it.
If you post a picture, or try to describe it, maybe someone can tell you what it is.
I didn't realize you had the birds until you posted the additional details. If they are fledglings, put them back where you found them!
Baby birds fledge (leave the nest) several days before they can fly. The need to hop around on the ground and climb low branches so their wings strengthen enough for flight. Mom and dad continue to feed the fledglings until they are self-sufficient. Put them back where you found them, so mom and dad can find them and continue caring for them!
The parents will not abandon the babies if your scent is on them. Birds do not have an acute sense of smell.
If you can't or won't put them back, or if it has been more than 12 hours since you took them, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center. These people have the training necessary to correctly identify the bird and to know what its dietary needs are. They also have the proper permits that allow them to keep wild animals. In the US and Canada (and many other countries) native wild species are protected by law and you need a permit to keep them, even for a short period of time. You can find a licensed rehabilitator here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact....
Also, if you do not have the proper training, you can do more harm than good. I like the way this website explains it: "First of all, there are federal and state laws that prohibit keeping wild birds. And there are so many important but subtle elements to raising a wild bird that the job is only legally entrusted to licensed rehabilitators. Many well-meaning people raise baby birds or rescue birds from cats or after accidents, and sometimes they don't realize that the bird in their care is suffering from a serious dietary deficiency. Some of the problems aren't apparent to untrained people, but can cause death, or make the bird less likely to evade predators or to survive harsh natural weather conditions."
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/f...
Since you say you have raised baby sparrows before, maybe you could volunteer to work for one of the rehabilitators, and study to get your own license. That way, you could legally care for the sick, injured and orphaned wild animals you find, and prepare them for release back into the wild, knowing that you had the training necessary to give them the best chance of survival.
former volunteer - Avian Rehabilitation Center
longtime avid birdwatcher
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