Orphaned and Injured Wildlife

Nests/Eggs/Hatchlings

Found eggs can be replaced back into a nest if they are intact. Please check to make sure the egg is the same size/shape/colour as the rest of the eggs. Be gentle to protect the baby inside.

If a whole nest is found, you may attempt to create a fake nest. Depending on the type of bird, you can find information online for the type of nest they need.

After you create the new nest, it may take the parents a bit to find the new nest, so you should monitor for the first few hours to be certain they know where it is. If they don’t return, please call a wildlife rehabilitator or 311 for Animal Services to attend.

Fledgling Birds

Fledgling birds are birds that are between being in the nest and flying. They may spend a week or more on the ground before they can fly. How long they spend on the ground will vary, depending on the species of bird.

The parents of the fledgling will feed it and protect it while it’s on the ground, until it is able to fly and feed itself. You may not see the parents immediately as they tend to take a ‘hands off’ approach.

It’s often best to leave the fledgling alone and give it time to fly.

If a fledgling is in a location where there is a risk of injury it can be moved a short distance to a safer spot (Under a bush or away from a high traffic area). However, it cannot be moved far from where it was found so that its parents will be able to find it to continue feeding it.

If a fledgling is injured or seems to become weak and unresponsive, please contact 311 to have Toronto Animal Services attend to assess and pick up if necessary.

Common injuries / illness in birds

In spring and fall, many birds travel long distances. Tall buildings in the city can confuse them, and they may hit windows. If you find a bird that has hit a window, you can gently place it in a small box or paper bag if it is safe to do so. Then contact 311 so someone can come and help the bird.

Pigeon Paramyxovirus

Pigeons can get a virus called Pigeon Paramyxovirus (PPMV). It does not spread to humans, but it can irritate your eyes, so do not touch a bird without wearing gloves. Birds with this virus may seem confused and may not be able to stand or fly.

Their necks may twist, making their head turn backward. There is no cure for PMV, and it can spread easily between birds. Please contact 311 to have Toronto Animal Services check on the bird, and pick it up, if needed.

Cormorants can also get a type of PMV virus called Newcastle Disease. This virus spreads very easily and can be deadly. Birds with it may suddenly have trouble flying or show serious nervous system problems, like not being able to move properly. Do not touch these birds, as the virus can irritate human eyes.

Caution: Birds like cormorants can strike with their sharp beaks and cause serious injuries. Do not get too close to them. Please contact 311 so Toronto Animal Services can come, check the bird, and pick it up if needed.

Canada Geese/Ducks

• Geese usually make a depression in the ground near a body of water to create a nest. However, in urban settings, Canada Geese often nest in what seem to be inappropriate setting. This can be on a rooftop or in a mall parking lot where there are puddles of water in the spring.
• During the nesting season adult geese spend most of their time on the ground near the nest. To see a goose, or pair of adult geese, that do not seen to be leaving one area or flying away in the late spring is normal.
• It is similar with ducks during nesting season and nests and babies are often found in backyards with pools. This is normal.

Note: Ducklings often cannot get out of a pool and may need help or they can drown. Contact 311 or a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.

• If the nest is on a ledge or rooftop ducklings or goslings may be stranded because they cannot fly. The babies can fall of the edge of a roof. Please contact a wildlife rehabilitator (such as Toronto Wildlife Centre) to assist with possible relocation to prevent injury.
• Waterfowl mostly have large clutch sizes so may lose track of a baby. Fortunately, they are also accepting of other ‘lost’ babies into their clutch, so if you find a separated baby, please call a wildlife rehabilitator or 311 for Toronto Animal Services to try to get the baby into an appropriate situation.
• Once old enough, goslings and ducklings are lead to water by the parents. It is not unusual for entire families of geese or ducks to cross busy roads or even highways. Where possible, it is best to allow them to do this on their own. If there is a safety concern for the birds, contact 311 or a wildlife rehabilitator. If there is a traffic safety concern, contact police.

• Baby dear (fawns) have no scent so it is difficult for predators to find them. For this reason, a mother deer purposely leaves their fawn alone so she won’t lead predators to the baby. Fawns are commonly left alone for 4 hours or more. The mother deer may only return at dusk and dawn to feed her fawn or move it to a new location.
• If a fawn is curled up lying quietly then it usually does not need help and should not be handled in any way. If a fawn is found vocalizing and seems agitated when not being touched, then it may need help and a wildlife rehabilitator, or 311, should be contacted

Note: Fawns have a sensitive digestive system and should not be fed anything when found.

• Virginia Opossums are marsupials, so carry their young in a pouch on their abdomen. The babies remain there, attached to a nipple, for 7-9 weeks.
• Once the babies leave the pouch, they ride along on their mother’s back for another month or so and still rely on her.
• If a baby falls off, the mother may not notice, and will not return.
• If they are over 3 months of age (judged by their size, they would be over 7 inches long, not including their tail), they are old enough to take care of themselves. They should act ‘normally’ if approached by running away or possibly freezing with their mouths open, drooling. If their behaviour is odd, they may not be self-sufficient, and you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator or Toronto Animal Services.

• Rabbits create nests in depressions in the grass and cover their nest to avoid drawing the attention of predators. It often seems that the locations are not very smart, as they might be in yards with dogs or in a high traffic area.
• The mother rabbit will only return to the nest for short periods (2 to 3 minutes) and usually only twice a day, to further avoid drawing attention to the location. The nests are often thought abandoned because of this, but most likely are not.
• If you’ve disturbed the nest, you can test to see if the mother is still coming back by recreating the nest and then placing yarn or string in a hash tag (#) pattern gently over the nest. Take a photo for future comparison. Check the next day to see if the pattern is disturbed. If it is, it’s likely the mother is attending.
• If the string is not disturbed after 24 hours, you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator or contact 311 to have Toronto Animal Services attend.
• If the string is disturbed, you have only to wait until the babies and mother move on. It’s only a short wait, they venture out on their own at about 3 weeks.

Raccoons

• Newborn baby raccoons have a thin coat of greyish-brown fur. Their “mask” and the stripes on their tails usually show up within a few days of being born.
• Raccoons are good mothers. If possible, the mother will come get her babies, and that’s their best option for survival. Young babies found without their mother can be left in a box in an accessible location for their mother to come back for them. Raccoons are primarily active at night, so it’s more likely that the mother will return for her babies after dark, but she may return during the day.
• If the mother does not return after 24 hours, you may try phoning a wildlife rehabilitator to see if they can help the babies. If you aren’t able to find a rehabilitator who can help, please contact 311 to have Toronto Animal Services attend to pick up the babies.
• As babies get older, the juveniles may venture out without their mother, even during daylight hours. This is normal exploration behavior, and unless there is an injury or illness, doesn’t require human intervention.

Skunks

• Similar to raccoons in many ways, skunks are very easy to identify as even before they have fur, they will have the classic black and white markings.
• Move slowly and carefully to try to avoid surprising the baby skunk, as they spray when startled or frightened, even babies may spray a little!
• Skunks are good mothers. If possible, the mother will come get her babies, and that’s their best option for survival. You may leave them out overnight to see if the mother comes to retrieve them. Skunks are active at night, so it’s more likely that she’ll return then, but mothers will sometimes retrieve them during the day as well.
• Make sure that the box or container the babies are left in is low enough that the skunk can easily retrieve the babies because skunks cannot climb well.
• If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to reunite the babies, you might try phoning a wildlife rehabilitator to see if they are able provide assistance, or have space to take the babies. If you aren’t able to find a rehabilitator, please contact 311 to have Toronto Animal Services attend to pick up the babies.

Common illness in raccoons and skunks

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is a disease that affects the breathing system, stomach, and brain of many mammals. It is always present in raccoon populations and often increases in the fall, especially in raccoons and skunks living in cities.

Symptoms:

Raccoons and skunks with distemper may act in unusual ways. They might sleep in open areas close to people or sit in the middle of the road during the day. Their eyes may look sunken or crusty, and sometimes it can seem like they cannot see.

Distemper can make animals behave in ways that are not normal. Wild animals usually stay away from people and pets, but sick animals may come closer. Being out during the day is not always a sign of illness, but it can be a warning sign when seen with other symptoms.

Animals with distemper may seem confused and very tired. They might walk in circles or pace back and forth. As the illness gets worse, they may have seizures. Skunks may spray at random times, or not spray at all.

Like any wild animal, they may become aggressive if they feel trapped. Do not try to feed or touch them, as you could get bitten.

Once a raccoon or skunk has distemper, it is very unlikely to survive. The best way to help is to contact 311. Toronto Animal Services can come and make sure the animal is humanely euthanized and to stop the disease from spreading.

• Newborn baby squirrels are naked, but have a long tail, small ears and long nails. Their fur may come in any colour, and once it does, they’re easier to identify as squirrel babies.
• Squirrel mothers are active during the day so they will come to get their babies during daylight hours if possible.
• Babies should be left out for at least 4 hours, in a box with a heat source. If possible, it should be raised from the ground, to keep it safe from other predators. If the baby is found at night, it should be kept somewhere safe until morning, and put outside then.
• If you’ve tried to reunite the babies, you may try phoning a wildlife rehabilitator to see if they are able to provide assistance, or have space to take the babies. If you aren’t able to find a rehabilitator, please contact 311 to have Toronto Animal Services attend to pick up the babies.

Note: As with most mammals, mother squirrels keep their babies very clean. If you find a baby squirrel with bugs crawling on it then it is likely orphaned. Please call a wildlife rehabilitator or 311 to have the baby picked up.

In the spring turtles travel a long way from water to lay their eggs. Turtles found far from water, or even crossing busy roads in the spring, do not need rescuing. It is not unusual for turtles such as snapping turtles to lay their eggs in sandy areas at the side of the road. Baby turtles are independent from the time they hatch and should be left alone to make the migration from the nesting site to water.