Dealing with found young birds
Environmental agency gives tips: always leave animals where they are found
June is the time when the offspring of many bird species leave the protective nest. However, the young birds are also fed by the adults outside the nest for a longer period of time and gradually become independent. The first young birds are already on the move.
The first attempts to fly are very strenuous, which is why the young birds have to recover again and again between the individual flight stages and do not fly away immediately when people approach. Without a parent bird nearby, they often give the impression that they need the help of humans in order to survive.
However, apparently orphaned young birds are not as abandoned as many people think. Hasty rescue operations often do them more harm than good.
In most cases, the adult birds are simply looking for food at the moment of observation. Feeding intervals vary depending on the species. For some bird species, the intervals between feedings are quite long. You should therefore first observe from a suitable distance and unnoticed by the adult birds for a longer period of time to see whether the young are really no longer being fed. As a general rule, young birds should be left where they are found.
It is often sufficient to place the young birds away from the danger zone of vehicles, cats and pedestrians in a nearby bush or hedge. However, the young birds must not be moved too far away from where they were found so that the adults can still hear the begging sounds of their offspring. In contrast to other young wild animals such as deer, hares or rabbits, the birds can be handled without worry in such situations. Human odour is meaningless to the adult birds.
If no feeding is detected during an uninterrupted observation period of around one hour, it is permitted to temporarily take the young bird into care if there is sufficient expertise, time and accommodation available, without contravening the applicable nature conservation regulations.
Further information can be found at: https://sachsen.nabu.de/tiereundpflanzen/voegel/20852.html.