Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: American Crow

What should you do when you find a baby bird?

This nestling American Crow was brought to the Center after it was found down, out of the nest, and unable to stand or fly. Upon exam, we found a happy, healthy, and well-cared crow for nestling!

Photos / Blue Ridge Wildlife Center

This young bird had quite a journey to get to us. The finders dropped it off at The LifeCentre in Leesburg, and then it was transported to us by Kristi’s Caring Hands Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education. Luckily we were able to speak with the original finder, and this bird was returned to its original found location and successfully renested in a makeshift nest nearest to where it was found.

It is always best for wild animals to be raised by wild parents. Crows are extremely intelligent and invest a lot of time and resources into raising and teaching their babies how to survive and thrive within their social group. Wild families should always be kept together when possible to allow these birds to learn skills, communication, and cultural differences between family groups.

Nearly every day we have a case where a well-meaning finder brings us “orphaned” babies, only to find that they are healthy and being cared for by parents. In most of these cases, we will recommend renesting.

If you think they may be injured, please contain them (with minimal handling) and keep them warm, dark, and quiet until you hear back from a rehabilitator. Never offer food or water to young birds as this often harms far more than it helps.

Please refer to our flowchart whenever you have concerns about a baby bird. It can help you determine if human intervention is needed:

Always feel free to call us for further assistance and assessment! We are open every day of the year including weekends and holidays.

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