We often find baby birds on the ground in springtime. This means that they have fallen out of a nest nearby. Since the bird's parents are unable to put their baby back into the nest, it is up to us to locate the nest and place the bird back. HOWEVER, this should only be done if the bird is very young and unable to move around by hopping or flying.
For example, if the bird is pink and featherless, or its eyes are still closed, PLACE IT BACK IN THE NEST. At this stage it depends entirely on its parents for food and protection.
If the bird is feathered and it can move around on its own, LEAVE IT. This means it is a fledgling. At this stage it hops around, attempting to fly, while its parents keep an eye on it from nearby, feeding and protecting it.
It is a MYTH that parent birds abandon their chicks if they smell human scent on them. The fact is that birds don't have a very good sense of smell and they cannot detect that a human has touched their baby. However, the birds may get spooked if they see a human touching their nest or babies. This may result in them abandoning the nest but scent has nothing to do with it. Just remember, if you're going to touch a nest or a chick make sure the parent birds aren't in the vicinity.
Sometimes, it isn't possible it return a "dependent" bird to its nest either because the nest was destroyed or because the parents were killed. When this happens, humans need to intervene. You can take the bird to a wildlife rehabilitator or rescue organization. You can choose to care for it yourself if nothing else is possible, but make sure you find out as much as you can about caring for the animal.
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