1. I found a bird with a band on its leg. What should I do?

A: The place to report all birds with bands or tags is the Bird Banding Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Center. The number is 1-800-327-2263. The lab will take the report and pass it on to the bird's original bander. Eventually (it can take a while!), you will get a note telling you where and when the bird was originally banded.

2. I found an injured bird. What should I do with it?

A: A person must have special permits from the federal, state, or provincial government to handle injured or dead non-game bird species. While your first instinct may be to call your local veterinarian, many vets are unwilling to care for "wildlife cases." In many situations, the best thing to do is to let nature take its course. Birds and other creatures are part of nature's natural cycle of life and death. An injured or dead bird may be a meal for another animal. If you feel you MUST do something to help an injured bird, call your local wildlife office, department of the environment, fish and game or extension office. Your local vet may take rehab cases, or may know of a licensed rehabilitator in your area.

3. If you touch a baby bird, will the parents detect your scent and abandon it?

A: No, most birds do not have a very well-developed sense of smell. However, most mammalian predators (skunks, foxes, raccoons, weasels, etc.) do have a good sense of smell and may follow your scent trail to a bird's nest. If you are going to handle a baby bird be sure to place it out of harm's way, back in the nest, or in an open-topped cardboard box propped in a tree. However, many bird species are equipped to survive outside the nest at a very young age. These species include many shorebirds, gamebirds, and birds such as robins and wrens.

4. If I find a baby bird that has fallen from a nest, what should I do?

A: Nestling Care: Try to place the nestling back in its nest if at all possible. This will be the baby bird's best chance at a normal life. If you can't find the nest or a place to put the nestling out of harm's way, you will need to get the bird to a licensed rehabilitator as soon as possible. Baby birds are unable to thermoregulate (regulate their body temperature) so must be kept in a protected area with a heat source. A soft nest made of tissues inside a small cardboard box, placed on a heating pad set on LOW temperature, is a good example of a temporary "home". A moist sponge placed in the box will add a touch of desired humidity. This will warm the bird. Try to contact a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Your state or provincial Fish and Wildlife officers are responsible for licensing and regulating the activities of rehabilitators and have listings for all rehabbers residing in your region. Make sure anyone else giving you advice is familiar and current with the specialized needs of wildlife.

What NOT to do: (no matter who tells you to):

• Insects, chopped up garden worms, etc. should not be fed to nestlings. Only the parent birds know how (and what) to feed their babies.

• Never feed a bird (or mammal) if it is suffering from hypothermia and feels cool to the touch.

• Never feed milk to any young wild creature!

Fledgling Care: If a fledgling is found hopping around on the ground, it should be left alone if it's in a safe area. It can be placed up on a tree branch or in a shrub if in a dangerous situation but must remain in the same area so its parents can find it.

Birds have an underdeveloped sense of smell, so handling the baby bird won't cause the parents to abandon it. Young birds often leave the nest before they are capable of flight. They spend a few pre-flight days hopping on the ground and flapping their wings. Its parents are keeping an eye on it and feeding it when necessary. During this time the fledgling is learning valuable survival lessons from its parents. Taking a young bird into captivity at this stage of its development is kidnapping! Try to avoid this if at all possible. If placing a nestling back into its nest is impossible or if that fledgling was brought home by your cat then you will need to locate a wildlife rehabilitator to care for the bird. This is not a job for amateurs-in the past 10-20 years there have been many advances in wild animal care, and the field is highly professional. Your state fish and wildlife agency has a list of all licensed wildlife rehabilitators; contact them to locate a rehabber near you. Rehabbers do not charge for services but voluntary donations are appreciated, since all expenses are out-of-pocket.

-Thanks to Betty Conley of Long Island, New York for this very thorough answer. For more information on bird rehabilitation, or to find a rehabber near you, visit the following website: www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028