NAPLES, Italy — Spring and early summer in Europe bring warmer weather, blooming trees, and—inevitably—a flood of well-meaning residents showing up at the base veterinary clinic with baby birds in tow.
But according to the experts, rescuing that seemingly stranded bird is usually the wrong move.
"It’s peak bird breeding season," explained Capt. Zachary A. Kirkpatrick, veterinarian and Branch Officer in Charge at the Naples Army Veterinary Clinic. "People often find young birds on the ground and assume they are orphaned or injured."
It's a natural human instinct to want to help a helpless-looking animal. But Kirkpatrick stresses that "while their intentions are good, in the vast majority of cases, the absolute best thing you can do is leave the bird exactly where you found it."
Scooping up a young bird and bringing it to a clinic usually does more harm than good, he warned, because it permanently separates the animal from parents who are likely still nearby, actively caring for it.
To figure out if a bird needs a rescue mission, you first have to figure out how old it is. The clinic breaks them down into two main categories: nestlings and fledglings.
Nestlings are the very young ones. They are usually totally bald or just have a few random patches of downy fuzz. They can't walk, and they can’t flutter. If you find one of these on the ground, it didn't jump—it fell.
"Look around the immediate area for the nest in a nearby tree or bush. If you can safely reach it, simply pick up the bird and gently place it back inside," Kirkpatrick advised.
And don't worry about leaving your scent behind. "It is an old myth that birds will reject their young if humans touch them; most birds have a very poor sense of smell," he added. If the original nest was destroyed by a storm or a predator, you can build a makeshift one using a small plastic container. Just poke a few drainage holes in the bottom, line it with dry grass, and hang it safely in a nearby tree.
Fledglings, on the other hand, are a different story. These are the birds that generate the most often false alarms. They are older, fully feathered (even if they look a little scruffy with a stubby tail), and they can hop around or flutter for short distances. If you see one hopping around your yard, it doesn't need to be saved.
"Fledglings are exactly where they are supposed to be," Kirkpatrick said. He describes this period as their "awkward teenager" phase. "They have left the nest to learn how to fly, forage, and survive. They spend a few days hopping around on the ground, and their parents are almost always nearby, watching them and coming down to feed them periodically."
The official guidance for fledglings? Keep your cats and dogs indoors, give the birds some space, and let nature take its course.
There is, however, one major exception to the hands-off rule. If a bird is visibly bleeding, shivering, dragging a wing, or has clearly been attacked by a pet or predator, intervention is required. But even then, the veterinary clinic shouldn't be your first stop.
"In these cases, we ask that you contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator rather than bringing them straight to a standard veterinary clinic," Kirkpatrick said. "Wildlife rehabbers have the specialized training, housing, and permits required to care for and eventually release wild bird species."
Subordinate to Public Health Command, the Veterinary Readiness Activity, Italy, delivers comprehensive veterinary public health, food protection, and animal medical services to safeguard Joint Force readiness. Utilizing a "One Health" approach that links human, animal and environmental health, VRA, I, is responsible for clinical care of Military Working Dogs and Government Owned Animals, strict food and water safety defense across military installations and essential veterinary care for the privately owned pets of service members and their families. Through these diverse missions, VRA, I, protects the health of the community and directly sustains the operational capability of the force.