Raising and releasing a house sparrow chick that fell out of the nest.
I raise sparrows almost every year. If I don't find them myself (there's a sparrow colony under my roof), people hand me the chicks, because they know I know how to do it.
A few tips:
- If you find a chick that fell out of the nest but seems OK otherwise, put it back into the nest, if you can. The parents can't smell that you touched them.
- If you find a young bird that can't fly but already has feathers on the body and developing flight feathers, it doesn't need help. This is a normal stage. Parents still feed it.
- If its eyes are closed or it is still (partly) naked, you can't find or reach the nest, or it has injuries and seems weak, the chick needs your help. But make sure you know what you are doing. Finding the right food is difficult and expensive. And taking care of a baby bird is a full time job! If you feel unsure, give the chick to an expert instead.
- If you succeed to raise it, do NOT keep a healthy wild bird as a pet. Returning it to the wild is always the goal. If it is unreleasable due to deformities or other health issues, try to give it the best life possible. Almost no bird wants to live in solitude.
