Perhaps because people believe that of all animals, birds and mammals have sensitivities closest to those of humans, these creatures are the subject of most concerned calls to wildlife agencies. Year of experience with wildlife rehabilitation allows some general comments to be made in answer to questions asked about care of orphaned and injured animals. Most of the young birds discovered out of the nest are not orphans. Songbird fledglings leave the nest before they are capable of extended flight and may be flightless for ten days or more. During this time food is gathered by their parents, who spend much of their time away from the young.
Young birds deserted by their parents are most probably sick or abnormal.
In fact, the weakest of a brood may be pushed from the nest by the parents or siblings. Autopsies of baby birds that are deserted and die show malfunctions of the digestive tract and internal and external parasites to be among the causes of mortality. Nestlings require feeding every 15 to 30 minutes. Few people have a schedule that allows that kind of commitment for ten to fourteen 12-hour days. The normal methods of rearing of young birds cannot be duplicated by man.