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	According to Fran Kitchen, long time certified wildlife rehabilitator for Operation Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc., here are bird rescue tips for those who have found a bird possibly in distress: 1. I FOUND A BABY BIRD, WHAT DO I DO? A) IS THE BABY BIRD NAKED, OR DOES IT HAVE FEATHERS? IF THE BABY BIRD IS NAKED, IT CAN BE PLACED BACK IN THE NEST; AND THE MOTHER WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. IT IS UNTRUE THAT THE MOTHER WILL KILL IT IF A HUMAN TOUCHES IT. B) IF IT HAS FEATHERS, ARE THEY FLUFFY; OR ARE THEY REGULAR FEATHERS? IF THE FEATHERS ARE FLUFFY (DOWN FEATHERS), THE BIRD CAN STILL BE PLACED IN THE NEST. IF THE FEATHERS ARE LIKE REGULAR FEATHERS, LEAVE THE BIRD ALONE. THE BIRD IS FLEDGING AND IS TO SPEND SOME TIME ON THE GROUND. THE PARENT WILL CARE FOR IT ON THE GROUND. IF YOU TRY TO PLACE THE BIRD BACK IN THE NEST, IT WILL COME OUT AS FAST AS YOU TAKE YOUR HANDS AWAY. 2. I CAN SEE THE NEST, BUT IT IS TOO HIGH FOR ME TO GET TO. TAKE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A COOL WHIP BOWL. POKE HOLES IN THE BOTTOM FOR RAIN WATER TO DRAIN AND PLACE SOME LEAVES AND GRASS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL. PLACE THE BOWL UP AS HIGH AS YOU CAN GET IT. SECURE IT. PUT THE BABY IN THE BOWL AND GIVE THE MOTHER AT LEAST TWO HOURS TO GET OVER HER FEAR OF THE FOREIGN CONTAINER. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BOWL BUT YOU HAVE A WICKER BASKET, YOU CAN USE IT INSTEAD. 3. IF I DO NOT BRING THE BABY BIRD IN, THE CATS WILL GET IT. NATURE IS CRUEL, BUT THERE ARE MORE BABY BIRDS EATEN RIGHT OUT OF THE NEST THAN WHAT ARE EATEN OFF OF THE GROUND BY CATS. THE GUILTY PARTIES ARE SQUIRREL, RACCOON, OPOSSUM, HAWKS, OWLS, BLUE JAYS AND CROWS. THE CAT IS A SMALLER THREAT THAN YOU THINK. 4. THE NEST IS IN MY RAIN SPOUTING. AGAIN, USE A PLASTIC CONTAINER OR WICKER BASKET; AND BY USING A COAT HANGER AND BENDING IT, YOU CAN MAKE A HOOK TO HANG THE BOWL OR BASKET FROM THE SPOUTING. THE MOTHER WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. 5. I CUT DOWN A TREE, AND IT HAD A BIRD NEST WITH BABIES. WHAT DO I DO? UNLESS YOU HAVE A TREE OR BUSH WITHIN SIX FEET, DO NOT TRY TO RELOCATE THE NEST. THE MOTHER WILL NOT FIND IT. CALL A REHAB PERSON. 6. THERE IS A DUCK NEST OUTSIDE IN MY BUSHES, AND I LIVE IN THE CITY. LEAVE THEM ALONE. A MOTHER DUCK WILL WALK HER YOUNG FOR MILES TO WATER. DO NOT TRY TO RELOCATE THEM! MOM WILL NOT STAY WITH THE EGGS; SHE WILL GO BACK TO WHERE HER NEST WAS! IF YOU FEEL YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE SITUATION, THE ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN DO IS IF YOU ARE AROUND AFTER THE YOUNG HATCH, BE SURE THAT TRAFFIC WILL ALLOW THEM TO CROSS THE STREET. EVERY YEAR WE GET CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO SEE A MOTHER DUCK OR GOOSE ON THE EXPRESSWAY, AND THEY WANT US TO GO OUT. THIS IS ONE PLACE THAT THE BEST ANSWER IS TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. IF YOU TRY TO HELP, YOU WILL ACTUALLY BE THE CAUSE OF THE MOTHER AND THE YOUNG GETTING KILLED BECAUSE THEY WILL RUN ONTO THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID HUMANS. YOU COULD EVEN BE THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. DO NOTHING. 7. MY DOG KILLED A MOTHER DUCK, AND THE EGGS ARE IN THE NEST. WHAT SHOULD I DO? IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR YOU TO TAKE THE EGGS, AND IF THEY GO LONG ENOUGH WITHOUT THE MOTHER INCUBATING THEM, THEY WILL NOT HATCH. LEAVE THEM ALONE. 8. I FOUND A BABY BIRD. WHAT DO I FEED IT? DO NOT FEED THE BABY BIRD IF IT CANNOT BE PLACED BACK FOR THE MOTHER. TAKE IT TO A REHAB PERSON. EACH SPECIES HAS ITS OWN DIET, AND IF YOU FEED THE BIRD THE WRONG THING, YOU WILL KILL IT. NOT ALL BIRDS ARE WORM EATERS. MANY PEOPLE WANT TO FEED BIRDS HAMBURGER. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF EATING THAT, THE BIRD WILL STOP EATING. THE CROP FILLS WITH FAT AND THE BIRD THINKS IT IS FULL.

According to Fran Kitchen, long time certified wildlife rehabilitator for Operation Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc., here are bird rescue tips for those who have found a bird possibly in distress:

1. I FOUND A BABY BIRD, WHAT DO I DO?

A) IS THE BABY BIRD NAKED, OR DOES IT HAVE FEATHERS?
IF THE BABY BIRD IS NAKED, IT CAN BE PLACED BACK IN THE NEST; AND THE MOTHER WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. IT IS UNTRUE THAT THE
MOTHER WILL KILL IT IF A HUMAN TOUCHES IT.

B) IF IT HAS FEATHERS, ARE THEY FLUFFY; OR ARE THEY
REGULAR FEATHERS?
IF THE FEATHERS ARE FLUFFY (DOWN FEATHERS), THE BIRD CAN
STILL BE PLACED IN THE NEST. IF THE FEATHERS ARE LIKE REGULAR FEATHERS, LEAVE THE BIRD ALONE. THE BIRD IS FLEDGING AND IS TO SPEND SOME TIME ON THE GROUND. THE PARENT WILL CARE FOR IT ON THE GROUND. IF YOU TRY TO PLACE THE BIRD BACK IN THE NEST, IT WILL COME OUT AS FAST AS YOU TAKE YOUR HANDS AWAY.

2. I CAN SEE THE NEST, BUT IT IS TOO HIGH FOR ME TO GET TO.
TAKE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A COOL WHIP BOWL. POKE HOLES IN THE BOTTOM FOR RAIN WATER TO DRAIN AND PLACE SOME LEAVES AND GRASS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL. PLACE THE BOWL UP AS HIGH AS YOU CAN GET IT. SECURE IT. PUT THE BABY IN THE BOWL AND GIVE THE MOTHER AT LEAST TWO
HOURS TO GET OVER HER FEAR OF THE FOREIGN CONTAINER. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BOWL BUT YOU HAVE A WICKER BASKET, YOU CAN USE IT INSTEAD.

3. IF I DO NOT BRING THE BABY BIRD IN, THE CATS WILL GET IT.
NATURE IS CRUEL, BUT THERE ARE MORE BABY BIRDS EATEN
RIGHT OUT OF THE NEST THAN WHAT ARE EATEN OFF OF THE
GROUND BY CATS. THE GUILTY PARTIES ARE SQUIRREL, RACCOON, OPOSSUM, HAWKS, OWLS, BLUE JAYS AND CROWS. THE CAT IS A SMALLER THREAT THAN YOU THINK.

4. THE NEST IS IN MY RAIN SPOUTING. AGAIN, USE A PLASTIC CONTAINER OR WICKER BASKET; AND BY USING A COAT HANGER AND BENDING IT, YOU CAN MAKE A HOOK TO HANG THE BOWL OR BASKET FROM THE SPOUTING. THE MOTHER WILL TAKE CARE OF IT.

5. I CUT DOWN A TREE, AND IT HAD A BIRD NEST WITH BABIES. WHAT DO I DO? UNLESS YOU HAVE A TREE OR BUSH WITHIN SIX FEET, DO NOT TRY TO RELOCATE THE NEST. THE MOTHER WILL NOT FIND IT. CALL A REHAB PERSON.

6. THERE IS A DUCK NEST OUTSIDE IN MY BUSHES, AND I LIVE IN THE CITY. LEAVE THEM ALONE. A MOTHER DUCK WILL WALK HER
YOUNG FOR MILES TO WATER. DO NOT TRY TO RELOCATE THEM! MOM WILL NOT STAY WITH THE EGGS; SHE WILL GO BACK TO WHERE HER NEST WAS! IF YOU FEEL YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE
SITUATION, THE ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN DO IS IF YOU ARE
AROUND AFTER THE YOUNG HATCH, BE SURE THAT TRAFFIC WILL
ALLOW THEM TO CROSS THE STREET. EVERY YEAR WE GET CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO SEE A MOTHER DUCK OR GOOSE ON THE EXPRESSWAY, AND THEY WANT US TO GO OUT. THIS IS ONE PLACE THAT THE BEST ANSWER IS TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. IF YOU TRY TO HELP, YOU WILL ACTUALLY BE THE CAUSE OF THE MOTHER AND THE YOUNG GETTING KILLED BECAUSE THEY
WILL RUN ONTO THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID HUMANS. YOU COULD EVEN BE THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. DO NOTHING.

7. MY DOG KILLED A MOTHER DUCK, AND THE EGGS ARE IN THE NEST. WHAT SHOULD I DO? IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR YOU TO TAKE THE EGGS, AND IF THEY GO LONG ENOUGH WITHOUT THE MOTHER INCUBATING THEM, THEY WILL NOT HATCH. LEAVE THEM ALONE.

8. I FOUND A BABY BIRD. WHAT DO I FEED IT?
DO NOT FEED THE BABY BIRD IF IT CANNOT BE PLACED BACK
FOR THE MOTHER. TAKE IT TO A REHAB PERSON. EACH SPECIES HAS ITS OWN DIET, AND IF YOU FEED THE BIRD THE WRONG THING, YOU WILL KILL IT. NOT ALL BIRDS ARE WORM EATERS. MANY PEOPLE WANT TO FEED BIRDS HAMBURGER. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF EATING THAT, THE BIRD WILL STOP EATING. THE CROP FILLS WITH FAT AND THE BIRD THINKS IT IS FULL.