You have likely heard that if you touch a nest, the bird will abandon it. There are a lot of ideas about how animals deal with human interaction with their young. Some of these tales are complete myths that can easily be debunked. This topic, however, is a little more complicated. Our Skedaddle wildlife removal team in Durham wants to help answer a few common questions about birds and their nests.

What Happens If You Touch a Nest?

The short answer is that it isn’t a problem to touch a nest if that is all you are doing. If you are cleaning out the eaves of your home, for example, and happen across a nest, you haven’t done any harm. The adults won’t simply abandon their young just because they can detect that a human has been in the same area.

That being said, you should never touch a nest if you can avoid it. Although baby birds are very cute, disturbing their homes is unkind and potentially dangerous to you and to the animals. The adult may feel threatened and attack you. Additionally, the droppings from the young and nest materials can be breeding grounds for parasites and bacteria that could make you sick. If you are concerned about a nest, get professional help.

What If You Move It?

This is where the story gets a little more complex. The adults will not abandon a nest simply because it has been touched; however, they are unlikely to relocate. If you move the nest, the adult bird may move on. This is especially likely if the bird can’t find the nest again.

In the wild, nests get attacked by predators and disturbed all the time. So, birds are not likely to relocate to the nest’s new site if you move it. If there are babies or eggs in the nest, leave it alone and call for professional help.

Of course, we understand that sometimes a nest will be in a place you simply can’t tolerate. For example, we are often called to deal with nests in dryer or stovetop vent pipes that cause fire and health hazards to the homeowners. We solve these issues by moving the nest just outside the pipe, right next to its entrance. By doing this, we ensured that the mother is able to easily find the nest again.

What Should You Do If You Find a Birds’ Nest?

If you find a nest, leave it alone. You don’t need to panic if you accidentally come into contact with it, nor should you try to relocate it. The best solution is to call for our wildlife removal services. We will come to your home or business and check out the nest. If there are no signs of eggs or babies, we can remove the nest easily.

If the nest is already in use, we will likely advise that you leave it in place. If that is not possible (for example, if it is obstructing a vent as mentioned above), we will find a way to relocate the nest without causing the adult to abandon it. This can be a delicate operation and best left to trained technicians.

Get Professional Wildlife Removal Services in Durham 

There are a lot of myths about what happens if you touch a wild animal or bird. Many people are quick to warn that the mother will abandon the young. This is rarely true. However, it isn’t a good idea to handle wildlife if you don’t know what you are doing. Animals can become dangerous when threatened and can be vectors for disease. Instead, contact the Durham wildlife removal team at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. We will help you resolve the situation.