The birds & the Bees
Fledgling Birds
If you see a baby bird chirping on the ground, leave it! Fledgling birds have a “ruffled” appearance (feathers sticking out all over their bodies). The nest isn’t big enough to hold the whole family. Fledglings jump to the ground and spread out and mom and dad fly from baby to baby, feeding them on the ground until they learn to fly. This is a dangerous but IMPORTANT time for baby birds. If you have dogs or cats, please try to keep them under control for 2-4 days until the baby birds have moved on.
It's okay to put it back!
Birds do not react negatively if humans touch their babies, so if you’ve taken the bird inside while searching for help (or finding this information), it's okay to put it back. Bird parents will NOT reject their baby simply because you touched it. Falle nests can be replaced in the general vicinity, and the parents will find it. If the nest has been destroyed, line a small box with shredded newspaper and nail it as high in the tree as you can.
Cat/Dog Bites
Any bird that has come in contact with the mouth of a cat or dog MUST be taken in for proper care. Domestic animals — especially cats — have very high oral bacteria counts and the smallest bite can prove deadly for a bird. Remember: cats are NOT natural predators in North America, and kill millions of birds each year.
To Bee or not to bee...
Hardworking honeybees may not be your favorite insects
but they are threatened populations and play a critical environmental role in pollinating crops mean you should never exterminate a thriving colony. First, take a photo that you can zoom in on to see close-up details of the insects' markings and body and email/text it to us. ARC Wild has beekeepers who specialize in removals that can come out to take a look at the property and confirm whether they are, in fact, honey bees.