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 physics professor at West Texas A&M University

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.

Birds won't abandon chicks touched by humans. Public Domain Image, source: EPA.

Topics: abandoned chick, bird, mother bird