Expert: Roger Lederer - 7/20/2010

Question
Found 2 (9-10) day old babies on ground below their tree. Located the nest with one dead baby with ants on it. Cleaned up nest and returned babies to nest without site of parents for several hours. Fed them each 2 crawlers. Did parents make them jump early due to dead baby? Should we not have returned them back to their nest? Although they are now content. Did hear adults calling out after babies, but it has been quiet last few hours. Leaving town tomorrow and feel like I can't leave until I know what we can do to best inhance their chances. And how long can they go without eating?

Answer
Were they mostly feathered? If so, leave them alone- the parents are somewhere and will take care of them. But if they are 10 days old, they sound like they are ready to be out of the nest. They will jump out again. If you heard the adults calling, take the babies out of the nest and put them where you found them. Nature has a way of taking care of things. They can only go a few hours without eating, so let the parents find them.