Neighborhood Wildlife
See tips below for help with baby birds, rabbits, and deer, and how to interact with neighborhood wildlife.
Baby Birds
- The notion that touching a baby will cause the parent to abandon the bird is untrue because birds have very little sense of smell. Still, do not touch the animal.
- The baby could be in two situations:
- Nestling: still being cared for by the parent - Most nests are up in trees, bushes or cavities. Some birds nest directly on the ground. Rain, wind, predators and other environmental factors can cause babies to be found on the ground during the nestling stage. If the nest or babies have fallen out of a tree and the babies are not well feathered, use nest remnants or dry grasses, place in a small basket, place babies inside and wire tie it into the tree it fell from. Parents most always resume care.
- Fledgling – Well feathered and found on the ground but incapable of flying. Do not do anything with the bird. If it is in immediate danger, put it under a bush near the location it was found. This developmental period can last 3 days to a week, with both parents still feeding this baby. If returned to the nest, it will continue to jump out.
- Let nature take its course and keep pets indoors.
Baby Rabbits
- Rabbits nest in open fields, often in the middle of yards. Their nest is not much more than a clump of grass.
- Do not touch. In this case, the mother may likely abandon her babies because rabbits DO have a sense of smell.
- Lightly rake grass over the nest and do not check on it as raccoons and other animals will become curious and find the nest by following a scent trail to the site.
- In a normal situation, the mother comes back to nurse her young only twice a day under the cover of dark. The remaining time she is far away from the nest to avoid bringing attention to it by predators.
Baby Deer
- Fawns (baby deer) are left alone by their mothers for the majority of the day. The doe will only nurse her young a few times a day to avoid bringing attention to their hiding place.
- While deer are weary of human presence, it is a myth that does will abandon their fawns if they smell human on them. However, human scent can attract predators, so do not touch them regardless. After humans have left the area, the mother will return to feed her young or move them somewhere else.
- With increased deer populations and decreased wildlife habitat, fawns will sometimes be left alone very close to humans. Unless they are in direct danger (such as laying near a car), fawns should not be bothered and pets should be kept inside.
Ways to Help Wildlife
- Keep pets indoors. Outdoor and feral domestic cats are responsible for up to 4.0 billion bird deaths and 22.3 billion mammal deaths every year in the US alone, and have contributed to the extinction and endangerment of various animal species.
- Plant native trees and shrubs to provide natural food and shelter resources.
- Remove non-native plants.
- Create "wild" areas where the grass is unmoved and leaves are unraked.
- Do not use of chemicals or pesticides in the landscape that can poison the land or water.
More Wildlife Resources
Neither the Pittsburgh Zoo nor the National Aviary will accept injured or orphaned wildlife as these could possibly bring parasites or disease into their collection. Please contact the resources below for wildlife information and assistance.