Spring is breeding season for many Australian birds, so this is the time of year you’re most likely to find a young bird on the ground. It’s natural to want to help, but often the best thing you can do is step back.

Is it a fledgling or a nestling?

The first thing to work out is how developed the bird is.

  • Fledglings have most of their feathers. They hop, flap and run about, and they can fly but are still learning. Landing on the ground is a normal part of learning to fly, and the parents are usually nearby, waiting to feed their young once you’ve left.
  • Nestlings are featherless or covered in down, and still fully dependent on the nest. A nestling on the ground needs help urgently.

If it’s a fledgling

  • Give it space. Watch from a distance for at least 30 minutes to see whether the parents come back to it.
  • Keep pets away. Cats and dogs are one of the biggest dangers to a young bird on the ground.
  • Move it only if it’s in danger. If the bird is on a road or somewhere pets can reach it, gently place it on a branch of a nearby tree, then keep watching from a distance.

Young tawny frogmouths are a good example. If you find one on the ground, the safest place for it is back up in a nearby tree.

If it’s a nestling

  • Call for help straight away. Contact a licensed wildlife rescue group or your nearest vet. In NSW, the WIRES Rescue Office is on 1300 094 737. In Greater Sydney, you can also call Sydney Wildlife Rescue on 02 9413 4300. Both lines are open 24 hours a day.
  • Don’t give it food or water. Wait for advice from the rescuer or vet.
  • Chicks from tree hollows need help too. Parrots and kookaburras normally only leave their nest hollow once they can fly, so one of these chicks on the ground needs a rescuer.

Birds that belong on the ground

Some birds nest on the ground. Masked lapwing chicks are covered in down and on the move soon after they hatch, and the ground is where they live. If you see one, leave it where it is. The adult lapwings swooping at you are probably its parents.

Keep watching from a distance. If no parents appear after 30 minutes, contact a licensed wildlife rescue group for advice.

When a young bird does need help

Step in if a young bird:

  • is visibly injured
  • is wet, cold or very young
  • has no parents attending after you’ve watched for a while
  • is in danger and can’t be moved somewhere safe nearby.

Contact a licensed wildlife rescue group or a vet straight away. If they ask you to contain the bird while you wait, BirdLife Australia suggests a dark, warm, dry box with air holes and a soft towel inside, kept well away from pets.

Outside NSW, our Found injured wildlife? page links to official help in every state and territory. Oz Wildlife doesn’t rescue or care for animals itself, so please always contact licensed help.

The short version

A young bird on the ground isn’t always in trouble. Give it space, keep pets away and watch for the parents. If it’s a nestling, if it’s hurt, or if it’s in danger, call a licensed wildlife rescue group or a vet.