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The third best thing you can do is simply to leave the bird in the exact spot where it was found. Parent birds are accustomed to having their young fall out of the nest, and they will feed them on the ground. Of course, the baby bird is more vulnerable on the ground than it is in the nest or in a box, but it still stands a better chance of surviving under its own parents' care than under human care. If the baby bird is found near a house, it is better to keep pet dogs and cats indoors than to bring the baby bird indoors in an attempt to protect it.
第三好的方法是把幼鳥留在它被發現的地方。鳥媽媽已習慣它們的孩子掉出巢來，它們會在地上喂養幼鳥。當然，幼鳥在地面上會比在鳥窩或盒子里更容易受到傷害，但幼鳥在母鳥的照顧下仍比在人類的照顧下存活率高。如果幼鳥是在住房附近被發現的，與其試圖把幼鳥帶回家保護它，還不如把寵物貓、狗關在屋里更好。
If the baby is truly abandoned or orphaned—something you can learn only by watching it from a distance for an hour or more—you have a decision to make. You can leave it there to die a natural death—which might in fact be the most humane thing to do. Or you can take it indoors. If you decide to care for it yourself, you are making a substantial commitment. And, even if you live up to your commitment, there is no guarantee that the bird will survive.
如果幼鳥確實是被遺棄或者是孤兒的話——這一結論只要你在遠處觀察一兩個小時便可得出——然后你要作一個決定。你可以讓它在那里自生自滅——實際上這是最為人道的做法。或者你可以把它帶回家。如果你決定親自照顧它，那么你是在做出一個重大的承諾。即使你信守承諾，也不一定能保證幼鳥會存活下來。
Two major problems are involved in trying to parent a baby bird. One is feeding it, and the other is preparing it for life in the wild. Parent birds do it all as a matter of course, but a human parent will have to drop other activities for a period of weeks and perhaps install a screened porch or aviary to do the job right.
養育幼鳥會遇到兩個主要問題：其一是喂養，其二是為它的戶外活動做準備。母鳥理所當然可以做好這兩件事情，但作為鳥的養育人，你將不得不把其他的事放下幾個星期，或許你還需要安裝紗窗或者鳥舍以求養育好幼鳥。
