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Safety & help

Finding a Young Wild Animal

Baby bird on the ground? If it is feathered and hopping, it is probably learning to fly. Leave it, keep cats and dogs away, and watch from a distance.

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Compiled from the listed sources with AI assistance. How we prepare and review content

About this guideCompiled from the official sources listed and approved for publication by the editor (Kaiser Khan, 1 October 2026). This is not a review by a veterinarian or wildlife expert; in an emergency, follow the instructions of responders or health workers.
Put safety first. For urgent situations, contact appropriate medical, veterinary, or authorised responders. This page does not receive incident reports or dispatch help.

Key numbers and contacts

Numbers and addresses were checked on official sources when the guide was updated. PanduanHewan does not receive reports or dispatch help. BKSDA office list

Quick answer

Key points

  • Fledglings, which are almost fully feathered, leave the nest before they can fly, and their parents are usually nearby.
  • Nestlings, with no or few feathers, cannot survive long outside the nest. The RSPB and RSPCA advise returning them to the nest where possible.
  • A young animal on its own has often just been left while a parent forages; moving it can do more harm than good.
  • Do not take it home to raise. Keeping protected animals, or taking their eggs or nests, is against the law.
In this guide (9)

Start with these steps

  1. Stop and watch from a distance. Do not pick it up straight away.
  2. Keep children, cats and dogs away from the area.
  3. Check whether the chick is feathered and hopping (a fledgling) or nearly bare (a nestling).
  4. A healthy fledgling: leave it and watch from afar until a parent comes.
  5. A nestling: return it to the nest only if the nest is visible and easy to reach from the ground. Do not climb trees, ladders or roofs.
  6. If the young animal is injured, in danger, or no parent has returned after more than two hours, photograph it from afar, note the location and contact the BKSDA or a vet.
  7. Do not give it food or water.

What should I do if I find a baby bird that has fallen from its nest?

Do not pick it up straight away. The RSPB, the UK bird conservation charity, stresses that parent birds care for their young far better than people can, and that taking baby birds into captivity can dramatically reduce their chances of survival. Parents may wait for people to leave before returning. Keep people and pets away and watch from a distance.

Many people search for what a fallen chick 'means'. For the chick itself, what matters is whether it is feathered, whether it is injured and whether its parents are still caring for it.

Evidence: RSPB — If you find an injured or baby bird ↗

How can I tell a fledgling from a chick that is too young?

Fledglings are almost fully feathered. The RSPB says they deliberately leave the nest before they can fly and often spend a few days to a week or so on the ground while their flight feathers grow. Their parents are usually nearby and still caring for them.

Nestlings have no feathers or only a few. The RSPCA says nestlings will not survive long outside the nest. This is the general rule for garden birds but not for every species; if unsure, ask for advice.

Evidence: RSPB — If you find an injured or baby bird ↗ · RSPCA — Found a baby bird ↗

Can I put a baby bird back in its nest?

The RSPB and RSPCA advise returning a nestling to its nest where possible, making sure it is the right nest, because the parents are likely to keep feeding it. Do this only if the nest is clearly visible and easy to reach from the ground; do not climb trees, ladders, walls or roofs. The RSPCA advises wearing gloves and washing your hands afterwards.

If you cannot see the nest, cannot reach it safely, or the chick is injured, note the location and contact the BKSDA or a vet.

Evidence: RSPB — If you find an injured or baby bird ↗ · RSPCA — Found a baby bird ↗

What about young mammals and other wild animals?

The RSPCA advises leaving any young animal that looks healthy and is in a safe place, whatever the species, because a parent has often just gone to forage; separating it from its parent or nest can do more harm than good. In Indonesia, BKSDA Bali asks people not to handle wild animals they find but to report them to the BKSDA or local KSDA field staff. Offices are listed on the BKSDA offices page.

Evidence: RSPCA — Injured wild animals (baby animals) ↗ · BKSDA Bali — Injured barking deer evacuated in Karangasem (June 2026) ↗

Can I raise a young wild animal at home?

No. Article 21(2) of Law 5/1990 as amended by Law 32/2024 bans catching, owning and keeping protected animals, and taking or owning their eggs and nests. BKSDA Bali also urges people not to catch, keep or injure wild animals. Do not give food or water; each species has different needs, and care is a job for trained staff.

Evidence: JDIH BPK — UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 (amending UU 5/1990) ↗ · BKSDA Bali — Injured barking deer evacuated in Karangasem (June 2026) ↗

Sources & references

  1. RSPB — If you find an injured or baby bird ↗
  2. RSPCA — Found a baby bird ↗
  3. RSPCA — Injured wild animals (baby animals) ↗
  4. BKSDA Bali — Injured barking deer evacuated in Karangasem (June 2026) ↗
  5. JDIH BPK — UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 (amending UU 5/1990) ↗
  6. Ditjen KSDAE — Balai KSDA & Taman Nasional directory ↗

References can change. Check dates and context in the original source. How we use sources and data →

Cite this page

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PanduanHewan. Finding a Young Wild Animal. Last substantive update: 1 October 2026. https://panduanhewan.org/en/emergency/found-young-wild-animal/

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