Human contact with bird eggs or a baby bird will not cause parents to give up all hope of the family. The parents will return. Most birds can’t even tell you’ve been there.

But this is what adults tell children, probably to protect the birds from little fingers.

Birds do not lay their eggs until they have worked hard to build a strong nest. And they are not likely to abandon you at the moment when they need you most. But no one can argue that they are probably best left alone. Looking at babies when they are born from a suitable distance will be fun for your grandchildren, but touching them is not recommended. They are babies, after all.

But there may come a time when you need to move a birdhouse. If it is not absolutely critical, the best option is to wait until the hatchlings have fledged. The breeding season is short, and the time it takes for the eggs to hatch and the babies to be strong enough to fly is not that long if moving the birdhouse is not crucial. Waiting until the chicks have left the nest is the best option.

But, if there’s a reason it needs to be moved…maybe it’s somewhere your cat can get to the nest—then by all means, move it.

First, make sure the receive location is fully configured. If you start the process and have to interrupt it, you will stress the birds unnecessarily. Then plan to move the nest during the day, as gently as possible. You want to be able to preserve the eggs intact, if they haven’t hatched, or prevent the young from bouncing. Keep the birdhouse upright throughout the movement.

Don’t be alarmed if the parents make a fuss, they will be very loud, they want you to leave them alone. As soon as you relocate the birdhouse, you should move away from the area so that they feel safe in their new place.

Once it has moved, you can watch from a safe distance, hidden from view if possible. If the parents weren’t around when you moved it, they will usually find the new location fairly easily and should start feeding the young or sitting back on the eggs in no time. But, if it appears that the parents have abandoned the nest due to the move, it’s a good idea to contact someone in your area who has experience with the species you’re observing.

If you can postpone moving a nest until after the hatchlings have fledged, this is always the best option.