AN animal welfare charity has warned Dumbarton residents to steer clear of fledgling birds as lockdown measures ease.

The Scottish SPCA responded to 296 reports of baby birds in need in the week ending May 15, this is compared to just 35 for the same period in the month before.

And the society has launched its #WildlifeWise campaign to educate the public on when to contact them about wildlife.

Mike Flynn, the charity’s chief superintendent, said: “Every year, we see a massive spike in reports of baby birds as we move from spring to summer. This year, we believe the increase may have been so dramatic as recent easing of restrictions means folk are out and about more often.

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"People spot a fledgling bird out of the nest and approach it with the best of intentions.

"Unfortunately, this can scare off the parents, meaning we have to take the baby bird to our National Wildlife Rescue Centre until it is old enough to be released and survive in the wild on its own.

“We love caring for these birds, but we’d love it even more if we could keep families together in their natural environment. If everyone follows the advice on our website or calls our animal helpline for support before they approach a baby bird, we’ll be able to make sure we only rescue those who genuinely need it.”

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