I hadn’t realized until this weekend how vulnerable fledglings can be, nor how much work a small army of volunteers does to keep them (and other wildlife) safe.

On Saturday morning I went into the kitchen to start the coffee when I noticed a whole lot of flapping, crowing, and general commotion out on the deck. Taking a peek out the window, I quickly saw that two fledgling crows were stuck in an awful spot between the stone wall and a glass divider.

This pic is gory but gives you a sense of how dire the situation was. At first, the little one on the right wasn’t bleeding. As it seemed at least somewhat possible to help, I tried sliding a broom handle down between the stone wall and glass. But the broom handle was too wide. And as the mama started to swoop back into the picture, I quickly darted back indoors.

Like many others might, I think, I started to panic, trying to figure out what would be the easiest and quickest way to get help. I called the SPCA who recommended that I call the Wildlife Rescue Association.

I snapped the photo in hopes of getting clear direction from the Wildlife Rescue folks about what to do.

At the WRA, I talked to “Karen” on the phone, who quickly went to work trying to identify volunteers in my area who could come help. In the meantime, she asked if I had a butterfly net. And here is lesson #1 from my fledgling crows encounter:

Apparently a butterfly net (or an aquarium net) can be an invaluable tool for all sorts of little animal rescue assistance. It has a long handle allowing you to reach far, is narrow and so can get into all sorts of nooks and crannies, and also has a net to catch and assist in the lifting of the injured animal.

I didn’t have one. But if I had, I imagine I could have been much more helpful much more quickly.

As Karen worked to identify a volunteer, I called around asking friends nearby if they had a net, or anything we could quickly use to help the little crows. A friend brought over some long handled BBQ tongs, and the short story is yes both fledglings were still alive, and yes we managed to get both birds unwedged, into a box, and over to the animal hospital.

When the volunteer “Liz” did come by about 15 minutes after we had the crows off to the hospital, she made me aware of lesson #2: the myth that a bird will reject its baby if there is human scent on it. This urban myth is at least one reason why many folks are skittish about touching animals.

Liz informed me that while human scent is sometimes a problem with mammals, birds don’t have a strong sense of smell and so lending a hand to help a little baby (quickly and gently) out of a tough spot is fine.

As of 8:00 am today, one of the two little birdies in my story is back with mama. In fact, I saw them this morning as mama was luring baby from telephone pole to rooftop to tree with a little bit of food. The little one was still wobbly but seemed to be getting the hang of flying, landing, and walking. The second one was in much worse shape and I will find out today how it’s doing.

[update 12:30 pm: I just got word from WRA that only one of the fledglings survived. The other was likely euthanized at the emergency due to severe injuries]

For now, I am sharing this story for at least three reasons:

First, if you live in an area that lots of birds and other critters also call home, it may be a very good idea to have a butterfly net or aquarium net on hand for these types of emergencies. I learned that time and minimizing stress on the animal are key. And this is an invaluable tool for doing both. Look for one with a long thin handle. Lighter is better. They’re available at many dollar stores and are about $10 bucks.

Second, to dispel the myth that a parent bird will reject its infant if it has human scent on it. Apparently this is hogwash and we should all spread the word and re-educate our miseducation on this. That said, it is still the case that humans should not interfere with fledglings that are on the ground and seemingly without care. Mama will be close by, and it is a common part of the learning cycle of balancing and flying for little ones to spend time on the ground.

And third, to get the word out about the fantastic work that the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC does. Please take the time to have a look at the work they do and consider making a donation to WRA or the local wildlife rescue network in your area.