During my visit to New Jersey a few weeks ago, I was surrounded by the results of springtime activity in the wild: there were fledgling birds everywhere, it seemed. In the span of one hour I observed fledgling Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, wood thrushes and a northern flicker all begging for food, and being fed, by one or more parent birds.

More recently, on a walking path in South Portland, I was lucky enough to see a northern mockingbird as it fed its two nestlings.

So I was not surprised to receive a call from my friend Marguerite, who lives in Orono. She had been walking her dog in town and noticed two baby birds under the stairwell of a local business.

“All I could see were two huge, gaping yellow mouths,” Marguerite said.

Wondering if the birds had somehow fallen from their nest and were in need of rescuing, Marguerite called me. I explained this was a frequent scenario, but the birds in question might not necessarily be in distress. They had most likely just fledged from the nest and were still being fed and watched over by their parents. The best thing to do in this circumstance would be to stand back and observe for a period of time – about an hour – to be certain the parents are in the vicinity and are in fact still feeding the young.

A few crucial points should be noted first, however. If the bird is obviously fully feathered with a short tail, it most likely is a fledgling. If the bird is only still covered in down and its tail feathers haven’t grown in yet, then this is a bird that has left the nest prematurely, for whatever reason. Placing the bird back in the nest, whenever possible, is the best solution. Barring that, a temporary nest can be made out of a berry basket or margarine tub that has had holes poked in the bottom of it, lined with dried grass or pine needles, and hung nearby, safely out of reach of predators.

Barring any obvious signs of illness or injury (weakness or shivering, wings drooping unevenly, or surrounded by flies), in a fledgling, the observer should only step in if the bird is in danger from people or animals. And in that case, the observer should merely place the bird out of harm’s way and determine if the parents are nearby.

The young of some birds, such as American robins, leave the nest before they are capable of sustaining full flight. They remain like this for up to two weeks, keeping under cover while being followed and fed by their parents.

Based upon where Marguerite saw the baby birds, I guessed they were most likely either European house sparrows or European starlings; both of these birds habitually nest on or near human-made structures. I’ve seen them nesting within street lights, in small holes under house eaves, and within unused (and non-functional) drain spouts.

House sparrows will leave the nest more-or-less fully capable of flight, but are still fed by their parents for another 10 days. Starlings, on the other hand, are fully capable of extended flight upon leaving the nest, and are thought to also be able to forage for food at this time. The parents may still feed them 1-2 days after they leave the nest, however.

Whenever possible, a wildlife rehabilitator should be contacted before you attempt to rescue any baby bird. He or she will know exactly which questions to ask to determine the age and condition of the bird, and advise you on how best to transport it to them, if need be.

Keep in mind, as well, that it is against the law in most states to keep a wild animal if you don’t have a permit to do so-even if you eventually plan to release it.

bdnsports@bangordailynews.net