Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
same ways we do — by how the babies look and sound. If you find a nestling — a baby
bird that can't yet hop, walk, or fly — and if you know where the nest is, the best thing
you can do is return the little bird to the nest.
Q I had a Mourning Dove nest in my hanging basket. I couldn't resist the temptation
and tried to feed the nestlings some millet, but they got scared and flew away. Will
they ever come back to the nest? Can their parents find them? I am upset that I
came that close to them. They did have full feathers, and I believe that they were
about two weeks old. It seemed like the parents were staying away for longer peri-
ods of time. This morning I heard the cooing of an adult near my house and felt sad
— was that the parent looking for its young?
A
Don't feel bad. The startle response that causes nestlings to flee when they recognize
danger doesn't kick in until they are mature enough to survive. Their parents will search
for them and will almost definitely find them. Mourning Doves usually fledge between
12 and 14 days, so these may well have been ready to go anyway.
Theyoungwillneverreturntothenest—they'llberoostingonbranchesnow,exactly
astheywouldiftheyhadfledgedontheirownwithoutbeingstartled.Theparentsmayor
may not reuse this plant for a nest site next time — we never know what will lead them
to make that decision. The adult singing is part of getting revved up for the next breeding
period, because they will renest after these babies are no longer dependent.
While birds are still nestlings, they usually have a special diet, so “help” from people
isn't generally helpful. Mourning Doves feed their babies “pigeon milk,” which is sur-
prisingly similar to mammalian milk, though it's manufactured in a part of the bird's di-
gestive system called the “crop.” As baby doves grow, the parents' bodies start mixing
the pigeon milk with a slurry of regurgitated seeds, so when the babies do start feeding
on their own, they'll be able to digest seeds.
Q Someone told me it's illegal to take care of baby birds. Is this true?
A
Yes. This may sound cruel when we find a desperate little bird barely clinging to life.
But in this event, enforcement is usually lenient if you do your best to keep the bird alive
while you find a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to take the bird. Native birds are protected
by state and local laws, especially the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and cannot legally be
kept as pets.
Every species of baby bird has specific dietary and care needs, and it's very easy to
accidentally injure them. And even if we can keep them alive, it's critical to a bird's sur-
vival and quality of life to be educated by its natural parents or surrogates. Sometimes
when young birds leave the nest prematurely and cannot yet fly, people try to raise them.
