Wild Bird Fund

New York City's only wildlife rehabilitation and education center. If you find a bird or small mammal in need, please bring it in. We are open 9-7 daily.

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Grumpy face, a li’l scruffy, standing or hopping and fully feathered? Yup, that’s a fledgling. Unless they’re injured or in danger, you can usually let them be.

A fledgling is a bird who’s just left the nest. They don’t fly much at first, but this is normal. If they can stand or hop and are covered in feathers, they’re likely fine. Their parents are usually nearby foraging for food to feed them. If you’re not sure, wait and watch from a distance to see if the parents show up.

If a fledgling is in a road or other dangerous spot, it’s OK to move them to a safer place nearby but only a few feet away! A fledgling is still dependent on their parents, and the parents must be able to find them.

**Note: Pigeons are the exception. Pigeons stay in the nest a long 4 weeks and look almost like adults when they fledge. Usually if a pigeon looks too young to be out of the nest (short wings, short tail, fuzzy head), they are.**

If you’re not sure, send us a photo or contact your local wildlife rehabber.

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

🐤Your donation brings the worms! And all the other many supplies that help us grow these bold, self-assured waxwings. Please help during our baby fundraiser! 🐤 https://t.co/tv6y3XXlEm

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Words to live by from a cedar waxwing fledgling: Just get right in there with both feet, and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t.

Who’s that getting all the worms? Is it the waxwing standing outside the bowl or the waxwing who is hock-deep in worms? 💪🏽

🎥: Francesca Padillas

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

It’s always nice to get some help with the charts! (Just doublecheck the robin feeding schedule carefully afterwards.😉)

📷: @tristanahigg

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

This fledgling blue jay has a bright future after being raised here at WBF, along with hundreds of other songbirds. 

You can help! Your donation goes directly toward food, medication and expert care for our many, many wild patients. https://t.co/tv6y3XXlEm

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Here in the fledgling window, we offer our customers the finest bin-to-beak cuisine. Tonight’s special: our famous mealworms!

🎥: Ann Duffy

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

@KatherineHerzog We sent the body for testing, but we have not yet received results.

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Welcome to the gull playroom! This is where our fledgling and juvenile herring gulls get to socialize, splash and snack. It’s the hottest summer hangout in town.🌴

We always receive a lot of young gulls during summer, but this year has been busier than usual. We received 9 in one day during the heatwave early this month, all from the green roof at the Javits Center, which hosts a big colony.

We’re working hard to keep these kids fed, exercised and waterproofed, while also looking out for their delicate feet.

🎥: Raina Bien

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

@1Chillwind It's July 29.

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Do not enter a staring contest with a fledgling house finch! Even if you win, you will walk away feeling much smaller and slightly embarrassed. 😳

This judgy teen is one of this season’s many WBF graduates! After 2 and half weeks in care, she was transferred to our soft-release aviary and then released to the wild.

Your donation makes this work possible for hundreds of nestlings and fledglings!
https://t.co/tFgJRpkE2A

📷: @tristanahigg

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

We are having a HUGE summer at WBF, with well over 500 patients in care. Nestlings, fledglings, ducklings, pigeons, hawks and so many young kestrels. Donate to help these wild kids!
https://t.co/spIEku2rOU

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Important question: Which of these fledgling mockingbirds is the grumpiest? 😠

🎥: Suzanne Highland, Phyllis Tseng

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

No one is more surprised right now than Valhalla!

Everything was going pretty well for this fledgling peregrine falcon in the first few days out of the nest, judging by this bird’s overall condition. But then something happened — possibly a window collision — and she wound up on the side of a road in the Bronx. Urban Park Rangers rescued her and gave her a ride to the clinic.

There’s some blood in the mouth, but this bird is very strong and alert. As a precaution, we’re treating Valhalla for possible rodenticide poisoning and providing supportive care. We’ll be quickly sending her off to our friends at The Raptor Trust for the rest of her recovery.

Peregrine falcons are still listed as endangered in New York State, although they’ve rebounded significantly around the country. NYC has one of the largest populations of breeding pairs anywhere in the world, and it’s always a privilege to be entrusted with their care.

📷: Rachel Frank

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

We know it's tempting! But please trust us when we say that giving water or food to a baby bird, or any bird in need, usually causes more harm. If you find a nestling or fledgling who needs help, please contact a wildlife rehabber. 🙏🏽

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

@1lolamarina They get it by eating pigeons, usually. Pigeons get it likely from food or water.

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Ofelia is still with us fighting off a bad case of trichomoniasis. This young red-tailed hawk arrived emaciated, with a large trich mass in the esophagus. We’ve been treating him (actually a male) with medication, but the mass has stubbornly remained.

📷: Terra Tirapelli

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Ofelia has recovered well from the surgery, is strong and alert, and is taking feedings without incident. But it’s hard to know if he can recover from the remaining trich. Time will tell 🙏🏽

📷: Rachel Frank

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

A few days ago, our vet tech Eugene performed surgery to remove the mass. He carefully extracted the hard lump and sutured the esophagus and skin.

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

@melinaphotos The mini waxwing tail 🥹

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Let’s say hello to a few of the cool kids in the songbird suite.😎

Meet two cedar waxwing and a gray catbird. That little guy squished in among them is a warbling vireo. All fledglings! They’re at the stage where they can fly some and eat some on their own, but they still gape for food and need supplemental hand feeding.

Once they’re fully self-feeding we’ll transfer them to the outdoor aviary. This gives them a softer introduction to the wild world and a better chance at success.

📷: Aruna Das, Kayla Tibaldo

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

If you'd like to help Fuzzy and all our other growing kids, please donate! Your donations mean so much all year, but especially during this busy season. https://t.co/sSRKgxtD2o

[Wild Bird Fund @wildbirdfund]

Our fledgling kestrel supply was running low for a minute, but we got a few new deliveries!

This fuzzy newcomer, named Fuzzy, was picked up in Rego Park, Queens. She’s a bit quiet but in good condition. We’re keeping her warm, safe and hydrated, and she’ll join two others who arrived in the past two days. Band rehearsals TBD.

Although most species’ fledglings are fine to leave alone, we often err on the side of rescue with fledgling kestrels. Their size and extreme cuteness make them susceptible to kidnapping. If they’re in an awkward or very public place without parents nearby, it’s sometimes a better, if difficult, choice to bring them in. Contact us if you’re not sure!

Remember: Keeping a native wild bird as a pet is both inhumane and illegal. Fuzzy and friends will be raised as wild birds and released to live their wild lives!

📷: Phyllis Tseng