Don't be too eager to rescue a fully feathered young songbird (fledgling) that can't quite fly. An uninjured, young looking bird found on the ground may not be an orphan. The first thing you need to do is assess the animal for any obvious injuries such as an oddly angled leg or wing, puncture wounds or bleeding. If the bird is healthy looking, you should next allow the bird to perch on your finger. If the bird is able to grip your finger firmly, the baby bird is a fledgling. However, if the bird is not able to cling to your finger, it is probably a nestling.

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An update to the blog post and article Squirrel Survives My Rescue to let everyone know that the little squirrel has grown up to become a beautiful juvenile and has been released. He is currently busy building a new nest and generally enjoying the great wilds of my back yard.