This was just posted through my letterbox...

[NamingIsTough]

It's real, it moves. What the fuck do I do!?

Luna - but the fact is, you shouldn't just kill it. Quite frankly, it's still a living thing, which is what a human is.

A long time ago someone posted a live crayfish through my letterbox. What would make someone do something like this??!

If this happened to me, I would kill it as quickly as possible. I know that sounds cruel but I would be wanting to put it out of its misery, is all.*

Oh FFS....... how do you know it is in 'misery'??
Why does that always seem to be the default reaction from the doom slayers when faced with a situation like this? Why shouldn't it be a given a chance? Because it's just a baby bird?? Lots of examples of very young baby birds having made it. Stratter has experience in this clearly and she is suggesting to take it to a wildlife hospital. Thank god there are those who care enough to at least try and who will also know when enough is enough.

Well done OP for doing that. You are a kind soul. At least it is with people who DO know what they are doing and who think it has a chance

Well done you! Hope the little baby bird makes it

Brutal though nature is, it's all part of a grand plan.

Species which have multiple young do so because it is expected that some will die. If all the eggs laid hatched, and all the bird babies that hatch survived, many would subsequently starve in adulthood because there wouldn't be enough food to sustain such a large population.

The life 'saved' by well meaning animal loving humans may be at the expense of another life at a later date.

Species which have multiple young do so because it is expected that some will die. If all the eggs laid hatched, and all the bird babies that hatch survived, many would subsequently starve in adulthood because there wouldn't be enough food to sustain such a large population.

So a bit like countries in sub-saharan Africa

Poor little mite :(

So glad you took it, OP. Hope the poor little thing makes it.

Just want to add some Naming what a lovely, kind thing you've done. Fingers crossed for it.

I found a baby bird a few years ago much the same age as OP's if I recall rightly. It was evening so I phoned the RSPCA who told me to put it in an open box and feed it scrambled egg. They came to pick it up the next day, tbh I was amazed that they would care so much to go to all that trouble! Phoned for an update a little while later and it had survived

Well done for taking it OP.

If we all did a bit in our little corner of the earth/world, it would be a much nicer place.

sinking - far more brutal than I was going to ge but, yes, it applies to all
Species.

It's lovely to see a compassionate side to MN. Especially in AIBU.

Well done OP, you went above and beyond.

We rescued a baby bird once. DH cut down a tree without checking if there was a nest. We looked after it and fed it then saw mum and dad so put him on the path in the box and retreated. Mum and dad used to visit each year for three years. Third year baby didn't come. Suspect he was making his own family.

So even though we took the baby and fed it etc. Mum and dad still had him back.

sinking - far more brutal than I was going to ge but, yes, it applies to all
Species.

But humans tend to be helped don't they. So why shouldn't an animal?

This thread has made my night. Well done op

sinking Inter species co-operation is incredibly rare.

Humans have evolved and have a very different relationship with other species than any other animal. And we're not doing a fabulous job, really, are we? How many extinct species are there at our hands? Nature has a balance - which we all too often interfere with.

There are cases of one species helping another - for instance, a mammal intervening to 'rescue' a dying bird, but these are exceptions; not the norm. I've watched pigeons drown in the local canal while ducks and swans look on.

Generally, even animals of the same species (other than humans) allow young to die rather than intervene. Birds do not 'foster' another's babies if the parents die, for instance.

I have simply picked up on your point that due to the brutality of nature it is probably better to leave an animal to die but of course humans can/must be helped.

A few weeks ago we had a swift with what looked like a broken wing, took it to local vet and they treated it for free, turned out he had a poorly elbow (!) and was going to make a full recovery. The point is, vets do indeed take wildlife in for free. Hope the little one is ok

but of course humans can/must be helped

I didn't say that, though, you did.

I always feel dreadfully sorry for lone chicks (they used to fall out of the big horse chestnut tree in my gran's garden every spring/early summer), but do think there's a lot of anthromorphosising going on. There chances are not great to survive, certainly not if left to their own devices, and who knows are the OP's little chick will get on.
But I'd not compare them to children tbh, that's going a bit far.
Lots and lots of eggs don't make it, lots and lots of chicks don't make it (for various reasons) and far more bird populations decline due to loss of habitat/food sources etc than from whether one gets helped by a wildlife centre or not.

For the record, I think it is lovely what you have done, Naming, and I have to confess that I am not sure I would have gone to the trouble (I would have tried to feed/keep warm myself, and as I said, my record is not a v good one).

Place marking hoping you'll be able to give an update in a few days.

Also vets don't "wring its neck". They will try to save and send to a wildlife hospital. If its too injured to have a chance they humanely euthanize.