Leave Them Alone! (1 Viewer)

It amazes me that, despite the fact that nearly every birder says "If you find a young bird seemingly alone, just leave it", the amount of people who raise "abandoned" birds is quite large.

Here's a story: Last month myself and a friend were walking around and, at the base of a tree, we saw a young Magpie. The youngster was squawking at us, but made no attempt to run off (I think it wanted food). My friend and I were unsure what to do-we had no idea how long it was there, and it was beside a main road. It looked like it was abandoned, and there was no Magpie adults nearby. We eventually left it alone, and I said i would go to the same spot next morning.

For the next two days I checked and found nothing. On the third day I found the youngster again. He was much more wary, and was beginning to fly. More importantly, there were adult Magpies in the trees and around the area generally, so it was not abandoned after all, and was actually able to look after itself.

I found out later that, when fledging, some birds remain flightless for about two days while they get thier flight feathers. During this time, they mostly sit around, begging for food, while their parents either encourage them to fly, by not feeding them, or else they leave them so the youngsters can forage about for themselves.

I am so glad I didn't take it home!

Very good issue rasied here Mabel.

Nature has been around a lot longer than we have and sometimes, unintentionally, we do more harm than good when we intervene.

Good post Mabel and almost always the correct thing to do. :bounce:

KCFoggin said:

Very good issue rasied here Mabel.

Nature has been around a lot longer than we have and sometimes, unintentionally, we do more harm than good when we intervene.

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Aye even though it is the perfect intention to bring them in. Its better to let nature raise them. As they would be more tame towards humans. Which can be a good or bad thing depending on rhe kind of human its tamed to.

Thanks so much for sharing that, Mabel. I know it must sound "heartless" or "cruel" to advise leaving such a young bird seemingly on its own, but most birders simply don't know much about birds' natural history and, as KC said, usually unintentionally do more harm than good when "rescuing" juvenile birds. I wish more birders were as patient and as watchful as you obviously were. Kudos!!! :t: