Common problems , myths, and solutions. Will the parents come down and get the young bird? No, the parent bird cannot come and take the youngster back to the nest. If I handle the bird the mother won't except it. Not true. This is a rumor that has been circulating since before we were born. Birds typically do not have a terrific sense of smell and the parents will be happy and be very relieved to have their young back. Help! I'm being dive bombed! If you find yourself at the mercy of a dive-bomber, there's a baby nearby. Parents are trying to divert your attention because the young bird (usually a mocking bird) is on or near the ground close by. If it's near a back door, many times the youngster is right under your nose hiding. Only if you feel safe, wearing a hat, and gloves, you can move the bird across the yard somewhere safe where mom can still feed and care for the little explorer NOTE: Do not attempt to move a baby bird of prey with dive-bombing or aggressive parents. An anxious parent bird could injure you. Call a rehabilitation center or a State or Federal wildlife agency. My cat brought in another bird! Cat bites can be deadly to a bird and many times the bird dies in spite of antibiotic treatment. Time is of the essence if the bird is to have any chance to survive. Carefully wash the site of the bite immediately with an antibacterial soap (without drenching the bird and causing it to chill) apply a greaseless topical antibiotic right at the bite site and put the bird in a warm dark place until you can get help. Cat's out in the wild kill countless wildlife every year whether the cats are hungry or not, including endangered species; please consider keeping your cats indoors. Please take a moment to check out the information on the "Cats Indoors" web page. Ducks in my pool! Ducks migrating through our area in the spring can be a real problem for pool owners, or should we say that the other way around? If you notice wild ducks building a nest in your yard call the local US Fish and Wildlife Service. Once the ducks lay eggs, the nest and the eggs fall under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and it is unlawful to destroy the nest or eggs without permission. If you have chicks hatch in your yard and they end up in your pool it will be impossible for them to get out on their own. You can drape a piece of cloth over the side of the pool and place a floatation device in the water under the cloth in the pool side. This will provide a ramp for the chicks to climb out.    Note: consider keeping a pool cover over the pool during the spring months not only for young ducks but all other birds. Help Ducklings! If you find orphaned young ducklings but do not see the parents, they are probably close by. If they are not trapped or in a dangerous situation it's usually best to leave them alone and the parents will re-unite with them when the coast is clear. If you find dead parents or if you have already removed the chicks and can not find the parents, they may be mallard or another type of migratory water fowl and are illegal for you to keep. Until you are able to call for help, keep them warm with a heating pad or 40 watt light bulb about 8 inches high that they can snuggle under or move away from as they choose. You may provide water but keep it very shallow (no deeper then your finger nail). Call your local rehabilitator or the USFW Service. Tree Trimming For the sake of our wildlife, please consider having your trees trimmed in the fall or winter months. There is a world of wildlife nurseries happening in your trees during the spring and summer months. Hundreds of nests are destroyed each year with young birds still in them. Birds and buckets Often birds and other small animals may fall into open cans or pipes (sticking out of the ground) etc. Water may collect inside uncovered material in your yard or even out in the desert . Birds may see this as a source of water and fall in unable to escape and die. If you see uncovered containers or pipes, please take the time to cover them to help keep your wildlife out of harm. Birds Hitting Windows Birds that are attacking or flying into windows are seeing reflections in the windows. To birds flying into windows, the window looks like a continuation of the sky. Depending on the time of year, they may appear to be attacking the window, or those looking out of the window. What's really happening is they are seeing a reflection of themselves in the window and displaying territorial behavior to the perceived intruder. With birds such as Mockingbirds, they may just be romancing their own reflection, trying to entice a mate during breeding season. Sometimes turning on lights on the inside may help but usually the change needs to be made to the outside of the window. Obviously dulling the reflection will help by letting soap and water dry on the window or placing shade cloth over the window. You may also try a silhouette of a bird of prey on the window or drape streamers from the top of the window. This type of behavior is usually only a problem for a short time during breeding season. In the case of window crashes, it's usually during a certain time of year when the sun is in the right position to create the right reflection. Usually, just a slight modification for a short period of time is all that's needed. If you have a bird injured from a collision with a window (if you don't see an injury and the bird looks healthy), he may just be stunned and will recover within a few minutes. Otherwise, check out our Transport information and call your local rehabilitator for assistance.   Copyright © 2005, Wild Wing Project. All rights reserved. This site is powered by the staff at Virtual Influx