When to Help a Baby Bird That’s Fallen From Its Nest

Everything that goes up, must come down, or so the law of gravity says.

This is especially true with birds learning how to fly. With spring well underway, baby birds are becoming more abundant, and with their growing numbers comes a greater chance of you finding one outside its nest. Most people have one of two reactions: attempt to put it back in its nest, or leave it there for fear its mother will reject it if it smells like a human.

However, there are actually different stages in a bird’s life when you should consider either helping it or leaving it alone. A new video from Slate shows you how to tell whether the bird is actually defenseless and requires help, or just exploring its territory and becoming independent.

Watch the video below:

The video also explains the whole “its mother will reject it if it smells like a human” thing is complete BS. Birds actually have a poor sense of smell, so you don’t have to worry about that.