This article is available online in audio form at MotherEarthNews.com
Finding a baby bird or wild bird egg seems to bring out the parental instincts in many people. People often use anthropomorphism to understand the natural world. Anthropomorphism is the human tendency to project human characteristics and thinking onto animals or other nonhuman beings. In other words, when people see a lone baby bird in the wild, they may think of it as just as helpless and abandoned as a human infant would be in that situation, and thus feel an overwhelming urge to “save” it.
Wild Birds and the Law
Most wild birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. This means no one should be in possession of wild birds, including their eggs, feathers, skins, bones, and nests, unless they’re bringing an orphaned or injured bird to a wildlife rehabilitator for care. This doesn’t include hunters, who must comply with other laws and permits for possessing certain animals, dead or alive.
If the animal lives in the wild, it’s generally considered wildlife, regardless of whether it’s invasive or
