When there is a helpless baby bird lying on the ground, most people’s first instinct is to take it in and try to raise it. Many people don’t realize that the vast majority of “abandoned” baby birds are perfectly healthy fledglings that don’t need your help at all! If the bird is not injured, the best thing to do is to leave the bird where it is and to monitor it from a significant distance. In most cases, the parents will attend to the bird as soon as they believe it is safe (ie. you are a safe distance away). Fledglings are usually fluffy and able to hop around and tightly grip your finger or a twig. If the baby bird you have found fits this description, it is completely normal for it to be hanging out on the ground, and you should just let it be.
In some cases, younger baby birds, called nestlings, fall out of the nest before they are ready to leave. These birds usually only have a few sparse feathers and are incapable of hopping around or grabbing on to a twig. In this case, the nest is surely close by, and you should carefully place the baby bird back into it. As long as the bird isn’t injured, it should be just fine once it is back in its nest.
You can find more information about what to do if you find a baby bird on the NestWatch website.
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