What To Do If You Find An Abandoned Bird's Nest In Your Yard

Spring is the season of nests and egg-laying, so it's not surprising to see birds flitting around making nests and singing, especially if you've left out the best nest materials for birds to entice them to your yard. While enjoying the outdoors, though, you may come across a nest and realize that even though it's full of eggs or young chicks, there is no parent nearby. Your first thought may be concern that the nest has been abandoned, and now you need to do something to help. However, don't be so quick to act. You first have to be sure the bird nest is actually abandoned. Birds may temporarily leave for several reasons, including to distract predators, get food, and because it's not time for them to sit on eggs yet. 

If you disturb the nest during one of these moments, you risk making things worse rather than helping. So first, you have to make sure the parents are actually gone. This means watching the nest for a bit. Whether there are eggs or young left alone, you would have to see absolutely no signs of a parent for at least two weeks – and some sources say up to four – before getting too worried. You also want to make sure that when you are checking on the nest, you aren't actually disturbing it. Frequent visits, poking around when you think the parents aren't nearby, or constantly getting too close may cause the birds to abandon their nest.

If you are sure the nest is abandoned and hasn't been visited by either parent in a while, or you know the parents died, then you can take the next steps. No matter the situation, you should never move the nest or remove the eggs. Doing so does more harm than good and can actually get you in trouble. It is illegal to mess with eggs or try to raise chicks from a wild nest, and you could get in quite a bit of trouble, especially if it is one of the types of bird nests you should never remove from your yard. 

Instead, you need to contact a local federally certified wildlife rehabilitator, specifically one that is licensed for birds. They are experienced with bird behaviors and nests, and they will be able to better tell if the nest is actually abandoned, as well as direct you on the next steps. It might be stressful to sit around and do nothing while you wait to hear back from the rehabilitation center, but that is the best option. Messing with the eggs, trying to move the nest, or keeping a constant eye on it can actually make things worse. The only time it's okay to remove a bird's nest is when there are no eggs or young inside.