Experts advise leaving most fledglings found on the ground alone

The Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds and wildlife experts explain that finding a fledgling on the ground in spring and summer is often normal, not a sign of abandonment, since many species leave the nest before they can fly properly while parents keep feeding them nearby. Removing such chicks can harm their survival chances. Help is only needed when the bird has few feathers, cannot hop or fly short distances, appears injured, or is a swift, which must always be taken to a wildlife recovery centre or the ICNF, since adult swifts cannot land to feed young on the ground.