Expert: Roger Lederer - 6/24/2010

Question
Baby robin out of nest, then rescued from cat. Put in box, feeding it worms and berries. Mother and father flying around, staying nearby. Keeping on front porchb so they can get at it to feed if wanted to. And can't leave alone because very cat friendly neighborhood. It says to put back in nest. Didn't know where it was but we just located it. Just don't know if the baby robin is injured. And if it is will it heal on its own if I do put it back in nest. I can see three other babys in nest. Don't know what to do. Didn't know if you had any advice or knew what to do. Thank you.

Answer
If it is nearly fully feathered, do not put back in nest. Mother and father are trying to take care of it. If it is mostly naked or only half feathered, you can put it back in nest. But if the other babies jump out they are all ready to go. Best thing is to either put the baby back in the nest, depending on the feathering, or let it go and let the parents take care of it. If you are not experienced in raising baby birds, it is VERY difficult to do so and the mortality rate is over 90%. The baby has a better chance if you leave it alone.Parents know what to feed it and when. If you have a wildlife rehab center nearby, they can give you advice or take over. Also see www.ornithology.com/rehab.html for advice