How to Feed a Baby Bird

Assessing the Situation

Identify whether the baby is an altricial or precocial bird. The first thing you will need to do is identify whether this is an altricial bird or precocial bird. Altricial birds are those that are born with their eyes closed, without feathers and are completely dependent on their parents for food and heat. Most perching birds and songbirds are altricial birds, for example; robins, blue jays, and cardinals. Precocial birds are birds that are more developed upon being born, they hatch with their eyes open and have soft, downy feathers. They are capable of walking and immediately start following their mother around, pecking at food as they go. Examples of precocial birds include killdeer, ducks and geese. Precocial birds are much easier to care for than altricial birds, but they are less likely to require help. Precocial birds usually make their nest at ground level, and so cannot fall out or be thrown from their nests. If you find a lost precocial chicks, make an effort to reunite it with its mother before taking it in. Newly hatched altricial birds are completely helpless, and will therefore require assistance. It is common to encounter altricial birds in suburban areas who have fallen or been thrown from their nest. In some cases, you will be able to put the baby back in its nest, in others you will have to care for it yourself. It is also acceptable to leave the baby bird where it is and let nature take it’s course.

Identify whether the baby is a nestling or a fledgling. If you have encountered a baby perching or songbird who you suspect has fallen or been abandoned, you must first identify whether the baby is a nestling or a fledgling. Nestlings are baby birds who are too immature to leave the nest, as they have not fully developed their feathers and may not have opened their eyes. Fledglings are older baby birds who have developed the feathers and necessary strength to learn how to fly. They may leave the nest and they know how to perch and grip. If the baby bird you have found is a nestling, it should not be out of the nest and something is definitely wrong. It may have fallen out of its nest or been pushed out by stronger siblings. An abandoned nestling has almost no chance of survival if left on its own. If you have come across a fledgling however, you may want to take some time to assess the situation before you pursue any heroics. Though it may appear as if the bird has fallen or been abandoned, fluttering and chirping helplessly on the ground, it may just be learning to fly. If you observe the chick for long enough, you will probably see the parents coming back to feed it at regular intervals. If this is the case, you should definitely not intervene.

If possible, put the baby bird back in the nest. If you are sure that the baby bird you have encountered is a nestling, and it is lying helpless on the ground, it may be possible to reintroduce the chick to its nest. First, see if you can locate the nest in a nearby tree or bush. It may be well hidden and possibly hard to reach. Next pick up the baby bird, cupping it in one hand and covering it with the other, until it becomes warm. Look it over for any injuries, then if it looks okay, gently place it back in the nest. Do not worry about the parents rejecting the baby due to its “human” smell. This is an old wives' tale. Birds actually have a very poor sense of smell and identify their young mostly by sight and sound. In the majority of cases, they will accept the fallen chick back into their nest. Once you have placed the baby bird back in the nest, make a hasty retreat -- don’t hang around to make sure the parents return, you will only frighten them away. If you can, watch the nest from inside the house, using a pair of binoculars. Be aware that, in many cases, placing the baby bird back in the nest will not ensure its survival. If it is the weakest chick in the nest, it is likely that it will be thrown from the nest again by the stronger chicks, as they vie for food and warmth. If you see any dead chicks inside the nest, then the nest has been abandoned and it will be no use returning the fallen chick. In this situation, you will need to care for the chick, along with any of its surviving brothers and sisters, if you want to ensure their survival.

Make a substitute nest, if necessary. Occasionally, entire nests may fall due to high winds, tree trimmers or predators. If this is the case, you may be able to save the nest (or make a new one) and replace the chicks. If the original nest is still intact, you can place it in a berry basket or butter tub (with punched holes for drainage) and use some wire to hang the nest from a tree branch. Try to place the nest in its previous location. If this is not possible, a nearby branch will do. Just make sure that the location is sheltered, away from direct sunlight. Collect the fallen chicks and warm them up in your hands before placing them back in the nest. Leave the area, but try to watch the nest from afar. The parent birds may be suspicious of the new nest of first, but their instinct to care for their chicks should help them to overcome this. If the original nest is completely destroyed, you can make a new one by lining a berry basket with paper towel. Even though the original nest may have been made from grass, you should not line your make-shift nest with grass, as it contains moisture which can chill the baby birds.

If you’re sure the baby bird has been abandoned, call a bird rehabilitation center. It is important to ascertain that a baby bird has truly been abandoned before taking it in. The most common situations in which a baby bird or birds will need assistance are: when you find a fallen nestling but cannot locate or reach the nest; when the fallen nestling is injured, weak or soiled; or when you have been observing a substitute nest closely for over two hours and the parents have still not returned to feed their young. The best thing to do in these situations is to call a bird rehabilitation center who can take the baby bird in. These centers have experience in caring for baby birds and will give them the best chance of survival. If you do not know where to find a bird rehabilitation center, call a local veterinarian or game warden who can provide you with the information you need. In some cases, there may not be a bird or general wildlife center in your locality, but there may be an individual, licensed rehabilitator somewhere close by. If none of the above options are feasible, or you are unable to transport the bird to the rehabilitation center, it may be necessary to care for the baby bird yourself. Bear in mind that this should be a last resort, as caring for and feeding a baby bird is extremely demanding and the bird’s chances of survival are low. In addition, it is technically against the law to keep or care for a wild bird in captivity, unless you have the proper permits and licenses.

Feeding A Baby Bird

Feed the baby bird every 15 to 20 minutes from sunrise to sunset. Baby birds have very demanding feeding schedules -- their parents make literally hundreds of feeding trips every day. In order to replicate this rigorous feeding schedule yourself, you must feed the baby bird every 15 to 20 minutes from sunrise to sunset. When the baby bird has opened it’s eyes and sprouted some feathers, you can wait 30 to 45 minutes between feedings. After that, you can gradually increase the amount of food per feeding and reduce the number of feeding times accordingly. Once the baby bird is strong enough to leave the nest and begins hopping around the box, you can feed it about once an hour. You can gradually reduce this time to once every 2 to 3 hours and begin leaving bits of food in the box for the bird to pick at by itself.

Know what to feed the baby bird. There are a number of differing opinions on the exact type of food a baby bird should be fed, however most experts agree that as long as the baby bird is getting the required nutrients, the exact food isn’t terribly important. Even though different breeds of adult birds follow very different diets -- some eating insects, some eating seeds and berries -- the majority of baby birds have very similar requirements and will need to be given food high in protein. An excellent starter diet for a recently hatched altricial bird is one made up of 60% puppy or kitten kibble, 20% hard boiled eggs and 20% mealworms (which can be purchased online). The kibble should be moistened with water until it reaches a sponge-like consistency, though it should not be dripping water as the baby bird can drown in the excess fluid. The hard-boiled eggs and mealworms should be chopped into pieces small enough for the baby bird to swallow.

Begin to vary the bird's diet as it grows. As the baby bird matures and starts hopping around, you can begin to vary its diet somewhat and start giving it the type of food it will eat as an adult. Insect-eating birds will eat earthworms, grasshoppers and crickets that have been chopped up very small, along with any insects you collect at the bottom of a “bug zapper”. Fruit-eating birds will eat berries, grapes and raisins soaked in water.

Know which bird breeds require a special diet. The exceptions to this diet outlined above include birds such as doves and pigeons, parrots, hummingbirds, fish-eating birds, birds of prey and any precocial chicks. Doves, pigeons and parrot-like birds usually eat a what’s called “pigeon milk”, a substance regurgitated by the mother. To replicate this, you will need to feed these chicks a hand-feeding formula designed for parrots (available at pet supply stores) through a plastic syringe with the needle removed. Although it's less likely that you'll encounter the other breeds of chicks, their requirements are as follows: Hummingbirds will need a specialized nectar formula, fish-eating birds will need chopped up minnows (available at fish bait stores), birds of prey will eat insects, rodents and smaller chicks, and baby precocial birds will do well on turkey or game bird starter.

Don't feed the baby bird bread or milk. Many people make the mistake of feeding baby birds milk or bread. Unlike mammals, milk is not a natural part of a bird’s diet and they will be intolerant to it. Bread is full of empty calories and will not provide the baby bird with the nutrients it needs to survive. You should also make sure that any food you give the baby bird is served at room temperature.

Use the correct feeding technique. Baby birds need to be fed very carefully. The best instruments to use are a dull tweezers or a plastic forceps. If you don’t have access to either of these, a chopstick narrow enough to fit in the birds mouth will do. To feed, take a small amount of food between the tweezers or forceps or on the edge of the chopstick and drop it into the baby’s mouth. Don’t worry about the food going down the wrong way, as the bird’s glottis will shut automatically as it’s feeding. If the baby’s mouth is not gaping, tap it’s beak lightly with the feeding instrument or rub the food around the edge of the beak. This signals to the bird that it’s time to feed. If the bird still won’t open its mouth, gently force it open. Keep feeding until the bird is reluctant to open it’s beak or starts rejecting the food. It is important not to overfeed the chicks.

Avoid giving the baby bird water. Typically, baby birds should not be given water orally, as the fluid is likely to fill their lungs and cause them to drown. They should only be given water when they are old enough to hop around the box. At this point you can place shallow containers (such as jar lids) into the box, which the bird will drink from itself. You can place a stone or a couple of marbles into the water container so the bird doesn’t stand in it. If you believe that a baby bird is dehydrated, you will need to bring it to a vet or bird rehabilitator who can inject the bird with fluids.

Caring For A Baby Bird

Make the baby bird a temporary nest. The best way to make a substitute nest for the baby bird is to get a covered cardboard box, such as a shoebox, which you’ll need to punch a number of holes in the bottom of. Place a small plastic or wooden bowl into the box and line it with undyed paper towel. This will make a nice, snuggly nest for the baby bird. Never line the nest with stringy or shredded bedding as these can wrap around the baby’s wings and throat. You should also avoid using grass, leaves, moss or twigs as these can be damp and easily become mouldy. You should change the chicks bedding whenever it becomes damp or soiled.

Keep the baby bird warm. If the chicks feel damp or chilled you will need to warm them up as soon as you place them in the box. You can do this in a number of ways. If you have a heating pad, you can set it to a low heat and place the box on top. Alternatively, you can fill a ziplock bag with warm water and place it in the box or hang a 40 watt bulb above the box. It is very important to maintain the bird’s nest at a regular temperature, so it is probably best to keep a thermometer in the box. If the baby is less than a week old (eyes closed, no feathers) the temperature should be around 95 °F (35 °C). This can be reduced by 5 degrees with every passing week. It is also important that you keep the box in an area away from direct sunlight and drafts. This is because newly hatched baby birds are very susceptible to chilling and overheating, as they have a large body surface relative to their weight and have not yet developed insulating feathers.

Create a low stress environment for the baby bird. Baby birds will not thrive unless they are kept in a calm, low-stress environment. When baby birds are stressed, their heart rate rises significantly, which is harmful to their health. As a result, the box should be kept in a quiet environment, inaccessible to pets and children. You should also avoid exposing the baby bird to the following: Excessive or improper handling, loud noises, incorrect temperatures, overcrowding (if you have more than one chick), disorganized feeding schedules or incorrect food. You should also try to observe and hold the bird at eye level, as birds do not like to be peered down on. Holding them at eye level makes you seem less predatory.

Chart the bird’s growth. You can monitor a baby bird’s progress by weighing it every day to make sure it is gaining weight. You can use a diet or postage scale for this purpose. The bird’s weight should be increasing every day and within 4 to 6 days it should have doubled its hatching weight. The bird should continue to rapidly gain weight over the course of its first two weeks. To get an indication of whether the baby bird is growing normally for its breed, you will need to consult a growth chart. If the bird is gaining weight very slowly, or not at all, it is a definite indication that something is wrong. In this situation, you should bring the bird to a vet or rehabilitation center immediately, or it is likely to die.

Let the bird learn to fly, then release it. Once your baby bird has become a fully developed fledgling, you will need to move it into a large cage or a screened porch where it can spread its wings and learn to fly. Don’t worry about it not knowing how -- a bird’s ability to fly is instinctive, and after a few failed attempts it should be doing just fine. It can take anywhere between 5 to 15 days. Once it can fly easily and gain altitude, it is ready to be released outdoors. Take it to an area where you have noticed other birds of the same species and there is plenty of food ability and let it fly away. If you are releasing the bird into your garden, you may leave its cage outside with the door wide open. Then the baby bird can decide for itself when it is ready to leave. The less time a bird is kept in captivity, the better the chance of survival in the wild, so don’t put off the release date for any longer than strictly necessary.