Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-06-20
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdcelDeH

Several inquiries have been made as TO
a statement recently printed in the New
York Herald Tribune, as follows:
Lee S. Crandall. general curator OF the
Bronx Zoo, which, at this season, gets
about twenty anxious queries o day from
persons who have found baby birds that
have fallen from their nests, summed up In
one word yesterday his advice as to what
should be done In such cases.
1.-The word was Nothing.
IF a nest has been blown out OF tree.
Mr.. Crandall said, it might be replaced.
though, IL its occupants are well grown
they probably will refuse to stay in 1t.
Parent birds find their young and care
for them in event Of accidents. Mr. Crandaii
says, and human Intervention generally Is
unwise
1T never was necessary. he said. to raise
an umbrella over fallen nest In shower
as one person wished to do"
Every one interested in birds and AMI
mails is indebted to Mr.. Crandall In many
ways. some of which one may not realize.
But at the same time one may feel that
he knows exactly why this great naturalist
made such a sweeping statement.
People ask so many questions, and want
to pin one down to such precise remedies for
all sorts of things, that one Is sometimes
tempted to lump the matter OF In generals
ties.
So one says, ooh. let the birds alone,
nature will take care of them"
Many persons have discovered that
great deal can be done for baby birds
fallen from the nest.
With the exception Of blue jays few birds
are equipped to care for fallen babies wnen
the latter cannot fy.
It is always best to put the fallen ones
back in the nest. II the nest can be found.
but often the nest is fallen, too, or too high
In the air for most kind hearted people
whose hearts are bigger than their climb
ing muscles. perhaps.
The jay will follow the fallen baby. and
feed 1t, but few other species will be able
to guard 1t.
The fallen baby robin Is most helpless.
Thousands Of such birds have been taken
home by humans and fed to fun Tight after
which they are turned loose.
Surely it is not better to let. them lie, for
there are all too many marauding animals
to catch them.
1t Is true, of course. that some birds. put
into a nest. will fall out again promptly.
There Is nothing much that can be done
about that.
But that human Intervention generally Is
unwise surely no one could say, except as q
generality It is true that nature takes care
of her own much better than too anxious
humans sometimes tend to think.
There was q recent case OF nest In q
drain pipe.
Should it be protected during storm with
an umbrella?
Our answer was. NO" but at the same
time we could not but think 1t was very
poor site to choose. Birds often are unwtse.
Just as we humans are. alas.
Sometimes nests may be improvised out OF
a berry box and soft cloth. but 1t is true
that the parents may not like 1t at all.
So let us amend the word OF that true
naturalist, Lee Crandall. to the point OF sub
shutting something" for nothing" ct least
in many eventualities.
1t is good substitution. In most cases. and
In this particular relation win save the lives
of hundreds Of birds each season.
Each case must be Judged by itself There
Is no generality that exactly covers all cases.
Sometimes creatures are best left alone.
sometimes it is better to try TO help them.
even II one fails.
We think of those five baby squirrels.
whose parents were not found. The babies
were left in the trees. in fun accord with the
do nothing" policy. And they were starving.
Finally. when one came down the big locust
and ran up our, leg. We started to do some
thing for them.
And saved their lifes.