I did a bit of a stupid ignorant thing [regarding wild seagull fledgling]

I am really ashamed of myself and feel terrible, but I would really like some advice.

I was visiting friends, about 3 hour drive from me, and their dog chased this baby seagull, he wasn't flying I honestly thought he was in shock or was injured although there were no visible wounds. He start running towards a road, there were a lot of children and i felt by leaving him he'd get attacked by a cat or run over by a car so I made the decision to catch him ad make sure he was safe.

argh, I feel so angry at myself even as I type this out. We actually called a sanctuary but. we didn;t have time to get him there and I didn't trust leaving him behind for them to collected ARGH. I should have just left him there I wish I did since learning all about fledglings. We took him home with us. He was lovely in the car, calm... quiet. but yeh anyway I took him home like a dumb prick I am. Did all the research as soon as I got in and have basically learned I have kidnapped him from his parents and did all the wrong things; and i feel absolutely terrible,and embarrassed and dumb x____X

So my question is: If I were to return him back to the place I found him... (which I am willing to do the drive again, anything to make it right) would his parents still be there. would they accept him back? I read it was a myth that parents reject their babies if a human touches them; but say if he;s been missing 3 nights soon to be 4 would they be still hanging around? and would they remember him? Or should I ring a sanctuary explain what I have done ???

Please don't think I am a terrible person, a dumb one maybe but I really had the best intentions

Regards~ Ria >__<'

you're not a terrible person, everyone make mistakes! its only human to want to protect a baby, and he could have got attacked or hurt if you had left him there. it might be too late to take him back. i would phone a shelter or rspca and ask there advise. do you live near the sea?
don't beat yourself up, you're not the first person to make a mistake and you wont be the last! x

knowing what i know about crows, if seaguls are the same, the parents would have attacked the dog! or been flying that close to it, you'd have known they where about

best thing ring sancuary, see what they say

and how are you gettin on with your little ring neck??

@Melly, Thanks Melly, I will ring them when I get home from work I do live in a seaside town so hopefully a sanctuary can take him on, care for him and release him. He's a very lovely gull though, he's actually far more calmer than my parrot, kinder and really sweet I could really get attached to him P:

@Sue, where it was a seaside town there were a few seagulls but none were really doing anything and the baby was just running down the road it was terrifying because the cars went so fast. I feel bad cos there seagulls flying around and I didn't realize they would have looked out for him whilst he was running down the street until I did the research online.
I'm just hoping the sanctuary says the parents will in fact be there and accept him back I'd get him back there in a heartbeat!

Damien is doing great, he's so cheeky. Although, he still isn't tame I am hoping that will come with time and age. He's definitely much happier with his cage, and he loves tweeting; he's loud and can always hear him throughout the house haha! How's the nutter? :3 xxx

Seriously, dont feel bad. I was a member of WIRES and once I got called out to collect a baby magpie that wasnt flying. It just hopped rather unenthusiastically around to get away from me. I caught it, took it home and called the bird co-ordinator to find out my next step. She asked me if I had seen any magpies nearby and I said yes, there were two in a nearby tree. She says "they are it's parents, the bird is faking it, you should go put it back". Well how was I to know that some birds played helpless to try and get thier parents to take them back? I took it straight back and the parents came down to check on it, feed it and then go back to thier tree. It's really not soemthing you think happens till you ask or look for the info. If it is too late for the parents to take it back im positive a sancturary or wildlife organisation can rehab it and release it.

Thank you, you're words are reassuring I have felt so badly about it over the weekend. (I work weekends you see so it's been my mum looking after him or her). This one wasn't flying too, he was running thats when I thought maybe he was in shock or something. And in all honesty the area wasn't such a nice area the children were a major worry to me.

Tomorrow I will ring a bird professional/ sanctuary or rescue place to find out whether or not the bird can be returned and give you all an update. I really hope they say " Yeh return him, his parents will still be around and recognize him" But I don't think that will be the case. If they can take him in I'd feel so much better. I am paranoid where Seagulls are big in numbers here they won't bother about him if that's the case I will learn how to rehab him but fingers crossed they are not like that! <-- lol Im a paranoid person isn't it obvious!?!? x3

Thank you for the reassurance tho, I have now learned a lot about fledglings now and won't ever make the same mistake.

lol nut is as always the nut, she is currently having a major hissy fit cos i caged her for biting my step daughters little girl, and then me. she does not do will with small kids for anything longer then a flyin visit. she is out of her cage, but in the front room with me, but she can hear them talking in kitchen so is lookin all forlorn an callin out to my man lol

her whole body language says *incredible urge to remove limbs!!! lol

I live in alaska, so I grew up with seagulls, first of all after the first night, it would have been too late to bring the bird back (Please do not try, the other birds will now eat it) and I know you think you were doing the right thing (id have picked the bird too, and god help me if Grandma had ever found out I played with many baby seagulls as a kid) but the last thing you should do is bring any wild animal home.

Not only are there laws againt it, but if you have a parrot now, and you have brought a wild bird home with you...... not a good combo, just breathing the same air could be putting your pet at risk.

In alaska, if your cought with a wild animal as a pet and yes it would be classified as a pet because you "rescued" it and are feeding, tending it. The minimum amount you can be fined is a thousand dollars, (it can go into the millions) and they can seize anything they think you used to get this pet home, your parents car, and even their house. (ive seen it done to other people regarding wildlife)

I dont know how the laws are written where your at, but in alaska they are Vary lax... so If I were you.. ID FIND the nearest bird rescue and Drop him off there NOW.

FYI I dont think your stupid, Seagull babys are CUTE, and Ive had a hard time over the years just to keep my hands off them. they have this cute little weezing "talk" that melts my heart and they are so quick to show inquisitive affection, Its really hard not to pick them up and take them home every time I get near a 2 week old chick.

I grew up in the woods, so I could have had my choice of wild pets, Its really hard not to pick anything up. I nearly had a moose calf once. a LARGE calf it was a year old already but its mother was killed by a bear and I was threatened by my relations that If I tried, we would be eating the thing, I was only 15 at the time (no, saying it fallowed me home didnt work, though it really did... ) I have to say the cutest animal I nearly picked up was a baby beaver... they really look like mini teddybears with a tail, and they are so friendly when they are only 5 weeks old. it only stood a foot high and was so Fuzzy! yea as in eat your hat cute. (momma was close by though and she weighed a good 60 pounds, she did try and eat me when she noticed her kit had swam over to me) yes, it did swim over to me and I did get 2 to 3 feet from this baby...no I didnt touch it but it was REALLY hard not to.

It will have to be done tomorrow, I am at work. But yes it was a snap decision and I deeply regret it. Thank you for letting me know I won't take him back to where I picked him up. I will also book a vet appointment for Damien then if I have now put him at risk
I'd feel terrible if I have made him sick...

I only took him for the fact I thought he was in danger I am usually quite good at resisting animals who are just plain cuuute, but they're always tempting to cuddle ahah! Ugh, what a mess I am in, all by thinking he was in danger. Thank you very much for the info it will all be sorted tomorrow I just now pray my parrot doesn't get sick. :'(


@Sue, oh my. It's like you have your own stroppy and violent teenaged daughter *pat pat*

oh regarding seagulls. The baby I have is just so calm, he's got such a wonderful attitude if he weren't wild he'd make such an amazing companion! Where you live sounds wonderful, I'd love to be surrounded by woods again!

I would have probably done the same thing if I thought it was in danger. When I've seen fledgelings running around on the ground, there have always been parents obviously nearby making noise. In my experience they make it pretty obvious they're there, and might even dive-bomb you.

One time when I was 10 or so my mom and I were at a wildlife sanctuary and I found a baby birdy running around on the ground! We thought it must have fallen out of its nest or something, and I caught it. Then we saw its parents flying around and making noise and put it back. Later we did research and found out that they were terns, and the babies usually do run around on the ground.

If it is too late to return it to the wild, it should still be okay being raised by humans and released.

Good news

He's finally in a place where he is safe. Turns out he was a herring gull baby. And that there is no problems with his wings so he can be rehabilitated. I took him to the vets first and they said where he's a wild animal all they could do was put him to sleep, i refused that and found the RSPCA who said they will take him to a bird sanctuary, they thanked me for finding him and said I did good. Much much more relieved. AND FINALLY My room is clean again, he was so mucky x________X So yaaay for him! <3