Why will a mother bird abandon its chick if touched by a human?
Category: Biology Published: December 9, 2012
By: Christopher S. Baird, author of The Top 50 Science Questions with Surprising Answers and Associate Professor of Physics at West Texas A&M University
Birds won't abandon chicks touched by humans. Public Domain Image, source: EPA.
A mother bird will not abandon its chick if touched by a human. Many birds have a limited sense of smell and will not be aware that a human has come near their chicks unless they see it happen. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, it's best to leave birds alone anyways. A bird with feathers can take care of itself even if it does not seem to be flying much. A bird found out of its nest that has not grown its feathers yet should be placed back in its nest, rather than taken indoors and adopted by humans.