BIRDS

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BIRD EGGS TO HATCH?

It depends on the species of birds. Some songbirds sit on (incubate) their eggs for 11-14 days, finches, swans and eagles it can take up to 36 days. Ducks and geese incubate for 28-30 days. these are the eggs that are most often presented to rehab centers because a hen has been killed or injured while brooding her eggs OR someone doesn't want the nest in their yard or near their business. Federal laws protect these nests and it is illegal to move the nests or remove the eggs.

HOW LONG DO THE BABIES STAY IN THE NEST?

It varies by species but for most of your garden variety songbirds - robins, sparrows, starlings, blue jays - they fledge (hop from their nest) at about 14 days old. They can usually fly short distances by 3-4 weeks old. Owls and hawks don't fledge until about a month old and may start flying short distances by 6 weeks old. Fledglings are at the age when people see them flying shorts distances just above the ground, and assume they need to be rescued. Fledglings cannot fly that well the first few days out of the nest but their parents will feed them on the ground and hid them from predators while they're learning to fly. Unless they are injured, leave them with their parent.

IF A BABY BIRD FALLS OUT OF ITS NEST AND YOU PUT IT BACK, WILL THE PARENT BIRD KILL IT?

This is a myth - that the parent birds will kill or not feed one of their babies if a human has touched it. Birds, except for the vulture family, have no sense of smell so they wouldn't know that you have handled the bird. Even if they see you do it, if the baby bird is uninjured and will gape (open its mouth very wide for the parent bird to drop food into it) for food, the parents will feed it.