What To Do With Fallen Nestlings?

Look closely for an injury -- especially its legs, its wings, and on the top of its head. If there is no blood and it looks OK, it is OK. Do NOT attempt to feed it. Just put it back in a nest.

Normally, Just put It Back

If a baby falls to the ground you should replace it in the nest, hopefully the same one it fell out of. Part of your role as the landlord, can be to monitor the nests and the young birds. Lower and inspect the house regularly. Many landlords keep a map of the house and where the eggs and nestlings are. If you don't know which nest the fallen baby came from, put it in a nest with other young of about the same size. This gives it a chance to compete for its share of the food. The adopted parents will feed it. If it is old enough to be a "percher", you might put it on a perch, above the ground and away from predators. The parents will likely continue to feed babies that are off the ground. The temporary perch should be as close to the house as possible, so the parents can easily find the fallen nestling.

What Caused The Nestling To Fall?

There is most probably a reason why the baby "bailed out." Oftentimes heavy infestation of mites or blowfly larva can cause this behavior, and this condition is easily treated. Look the baby bird over carefully for parasites, and remove what you find. Nest replacement will usually take care of the worst parasite problem. Regular nest checks on a weekly basis will not discourage martins, and could make the difference between success and failure, particularly with new colonies.

Other possible reasons are too many young for the nesting compartment. If there are no dividers between compartment holes on a porch, some more aggressive young will "visit" other nests for an extra meal. The fallen nestling might have been disturbed by a predator or a vindictive sparrow.

What If The Nestling Is Injured?

• Carefully place it in a box with a cloth covering. Leave a gap for air. A small shoe box is good for this. Don't run around, bird in hand, looking for a box.
• Call an authorized licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Then follow the instructions give you by the rehabilitator.