It’s a busy time of year for Top End birds.

Eggs have hatched and demanding mouths are open and waiting for dinner.

Sometimes hungry babies are found on the ground after storms, high winds or after taking their first flight.

Many baby birds that are rescued by well-meaning people do not need assistance at all.

Often they are being cared for by their parents after falling from their nest even if this means feeding them on the ground. If you find a young bird sitting or walking around on the ground its parents are usually somewhere nearby waiting for you to leave.

The best thing to do is simply leave it alone. If there are risks in the area such as pets or children the baby can be gently placed in a heavy shrub or low tree to give it some protection.

If you need to do this please don’t worry about the urban myth that the parents will abandon the chick if they smell your scent on them, this is simply not true.

Occasionally nests fall out of their tree or are ‘found’ by small people or animals. In these cases the best thing to do is put the nest back as near as possible to its original position if it is safe to do so.

If after a while you feel that the parents are not returning, or if you know that they have met an untimely end, please place a call your local wildlife rescue organisation.

Baby birds need specialized care and feeding and carers of wildlife need both experience and carers permits to look after them properly. Information on permits to care for native wildlife can be found at  https://nt.gov.au/environment/animals/wildlife-permits/apply-for-a-wildlife-carers-permit.

In Katherine phone 0412 955 336 to contact volunteer organisations who will, if possible, collect and care for young birds.

Numbers for other areas can be found on the Parks and Wildlife website at https://nt.gov.au/environment/animals/report-injured-wildlife-or-rescue