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Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre answers your nature questions
Have you always had a nature question you wanted to ask but never knew who to ask? This is your opportunity to ask the Oak Hammock Marsh Naturalist that burning question! Or, you can check out what other people have always wanted to know.
Latest questions:
I found a baby bird on the ground. What should I do?
Young wild animals spend long periods of time alone. The mother feeds them only a few times a day. You are unlikely to see her unless you are watching closely. Fledglings normally spend a couple of days on the ground after leaving the nest, while they learn how to find food for themselves. If you find a baby bird on the ground, you should do the following:
- If the parents are nearby - leave the bird alone!
- If the location of the parents is unknown - watch the bird (from a distance) to see if the parents return (within 2 hours for small birds, within 4-6 hours for raptors) or look for the nest.
- If the parents do not return - put the bird in a box and contact the appropriate organization, such as the Manitoba Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.
- Most wild birds and mammals are protected by law and keeping them in your possession is illegal.
It is all right to pick up young birds or eggs to put them back in the nest or get them out of harm's way (e.g. put them up in a tree). The parents will not abandon the nest or young but you don't want to disturb them for very long.
