Baby chicklets in the road

[sally_cinnamon]

Hi all,
The other weekend my OH was out cycling and came across some little chicklings (not being much of a bird spotter he said they "were like moorhens or summat") in the road, toddling off after mum.  anyway, after the fright of seeing a full grown man in lycra, they scattered and mum legged it through a hedge.  OH could hear a car coming so tried to shoo them across the road towards mums direction.  Some did as encouraged but others went in the wrong direction so he scooped them up in his hands (with cycling mitts on) and placed them over the hedge in the field where mum had gone.  So I was wondering if anyone knew anything about smells being left on baby birds and mum not liking it - i've heard before that they sometimes abandon babies if they've been handled.  I didn't want to mention this to OH as he had obviously thought he had done good deed (and i agree, as it is surely better than taking chances with oncoming traffic?).  Just for future reference I'd be keen to learn about it, as I've had similar prob with baby rabbits in the lane near me before now. ???

[sally_cinnamon]

[Juliet]

Hi Sally,

just found this page on the RSPB site for you - it's about handling injured birds, but the principle's the same (the relevant bit is the 2nd to last paragraph):  http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/advice/careofsickbirds/capture_and_handling.asp - so sounds as though your OH did the right thing.  Can't help with the rabbits though, sorry.

[sally_cinnamon]

Thanks for that Juliet, I feel better knowing that mum won't have rejected them!  Will do a google for the rabbits methinks....