This morning I found a baby dove sitting next to my laptop. I figure it got inside this morning or late last night when we had the front door open to let the dog out. We do have a dove’s nest in our front pine tree, so I’m not too surprised to see a baby dove out of its nest, however, I am surprised to see it in my own home. But, now what do I do? After calling my local Fish and Game, here is the advice they gave me for caring for the little critter.
The first thing you should do is try to get the bird back into its nest. If it’s a nestling then it likely fell out of the tree due to a storm (a nestling cannot perch onto your finger when you try to hold it). If it’s a fledgling, which looks like a grownup bird only smaller, then it was likely kicked out or left the nest too young and simply can’t fly well. Regardless, even if you touch the bird, if you place it in its nest the parents will care for it again.
If you can’t find the bird’s nest, then the nest is still likely nearby, so place the baby bird back into the tree on a branch you can reach and the parents will care for the bird from there. If you are worried about a baby bird being able to stay on a branch, as is the case with a nestling, then place them in a basket or container with a handle and hang it on the branch. The parents will care for the baby bird in its new location until it is large enough to care for itself.
If are worried about cats getting to the baby bird, keep your own cats (if you have them) inside for a few days while the baby bird is cared for. If you insist upon keeping the baby bird, remember that keeping a wild animal is illegal and your best bet is to contact your local Fish and Game and have them care for the animal for you. But odds are, if you put the bird back into the tree or a nearby tree that it came from, mommy and daddy bird will come back to care for it.
Sources:
http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Baby_Birds.html
my local Fish and Game in Jerome, Id