As baby bird season reaches its peak in the Florida Keys, the Key West Wildlife Center is fielding dozens of calls each day from concerned residents who discover young birds on the ground and assume they need rescuing.
Thomas Sweets, executive director of the Key West Wildife Center, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about the center.
He said the vast majority of those birds are exactly where they are supposed to be.
The center has received as many as 20 to 30 calls per day regarding baby birds, with many callers mistakenly believing the birds have fallen from their nests.
“Just because there’s a baby bird on the ground doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it,” Sweets said. “Eighty to ninety percent of the calls we receive involve birds that are healthy and being cared for by their parents.”
Many species common to the Florida Keys, including northern mockingbirds, grackles, doves and pigeons, leave their nests before they are fully capable of sustained flight.
Once fully feathered, young birds often spend several days on the ground hopping, exploring and learning to fly while their parents continue feeding and protecting them.
Sweets explained that songbird parents are often easy to spot because they remain nearby and can become aggressive when people approach their young. Doves and pigeons, however, are more discreet and may only return once or twice a day to feed their offspring.
“The parents know where their babies are,” he said. “They call to them, and the babies respond.”
While most fledgling birds should be left alone, some situations do require intervention.
Young birds that are not yet feathered, appear injured, or have fallen from nests during storms may need assistance. Birds found in dangerous locations, such as busy roadways, may simply need to be moved to a nearby safe area rather than taken indoors.
Sweets cautioned against attempting to feed rescued birds.
“We’ve had people feeding them milk and hot dogs,” he said. “These birds have very specific diets, and the parents are the best ones to provide that care.”
He also warned that taking birds indoors can expose them to inappropriate temperatures and increase the risk of imprinting, which can make survival in the wild more difficult.
The wildlife center now uses text messaging to help evaluate potential rescues.
Residents can send photos of birds to trained staff, who can often determine from the images whether a bird requires assistance or should remain where it is.
The center also provides a seasonal guide on its website explaining what to do when encountering a baby bird.
Beyond baby birds, the Key West Wildlife Center continues to respond to a wide variety of wildlife emergencies throughout the Lower Keys.
Recent rescues have included a rat snake entangled in duct tape on Big Pine Key, multiple injured or underweight herons, two rescued magnificent frigatebirds, a Florida box turtle crossing a roadway and several American white pelicans requiring medical treatment.
The center rehabilitates more than 1,400 animals annually and serves wildlife from Key West through the Lower Keys.
Many of the recently treated birds have already been successfully released back into the wild.
“That’s always the best part of the job,” Sweets said. “When we can get them healthy and return them where they belong.”
Residents who encounter injured wildlife or have questions about baby birds can contact the Key West Wildlife Center’s 24-hour rescue hotline at 305-292-1008.
Additional information, educational resources and donation opportunities are available through the Key West Wildlife Center and the website is here: https://keywestwildlifecenter.org/.
The nonprofit organization operates a wildlife rehabilitation facility and visitor center and relies heavily on community support to continue its rescue and rehabilitation efforts throughout the Florida Keys.