How to Feed Wild Baby Birds

Most people forget that birds are actually wild animals. And the best solution for wildlife is to always leave them alone, especially when it is illegal to keep wild birds indoors. ^{[1] X Research Resources} However, if you must care for and feed it, then this article will provide you with the information you need to take care of it.

Table of Contents

Determine if the baby bird needs help

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Wear gloves. Wear gloves if you plan to touch the bird. Gloves will protect you from birds. Baby birds can even use their beaks to peck at you. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Check feathers. If the baby bird has feathers, it’s a new bird. Otherwise it is a baby bird. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Let the bird out again. The birds are likely to live well outside the nest. If the bird has grown enough feathers, it can fly. They are just outside the nest. The parents will feed them even on the ground. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Bring the chicks back to the nest. Young birds may need help. If you find a baby bird, return it to a nearby nest. If the nest cannot be found, you may need to help it. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Try listening to other baby birds. When the parent birds bring food, you should be able to find the nest fairly easily by following the baby bird’s cries for food.
To catch a baby bird, approach it with one hand on its head and back, one hand under its belly and legs. Don’t worry that the mother bird will leave the baby bird once you have touched it. The mother bird readily accepts it back to the nest. ^{[6] X Research Sources}
Warm the baby bird by holding it in your hand until it no longer feels cold when you touch it. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Check out the other chicks. If you find the nest and other chicks dead, you can safely conclude that the nest has just been abandoned, and you will have to take care of the live baby bird(s).

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Use your finger to check if you’re not sure. If you can’t determine whether you are holding the bird out or the chick, try having the bird sit on your finger. If the bird can get into your hand, it’s a clear bird. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Know when to take your bird to the vet

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Check out the parent bird. If the parent bird does not return to the nest within a few hours, or if you are certain that the parent is not alive, you should call for help. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Find the wound. If the bird has trouble moving or flapping its wings, it may have been injured. Also, if the bird is shaking, it could be in trouble. Injured birds are also a reason to call for help. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Do not raise birds yourself. Keeping and keeping wild birds may be illegal in some countries. In the US, you must obtain special permission from local and federal authorities to keep wild birds. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Call wildlife care staff. Wildlife handlers have the skills and training to care for young birds. You can find them on your local government’s wildlife website, or call your veterinarian or local animal rescue center, as they may know of staff that care for animals in the area. area. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Ask for advice on how to feed the chicks and how to keep them warm.

Identify birds and how to feed

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Understand the risks. Remember that it may be illegal for you to keep your birds if you live in a country where this law is in place. In addition, you may not be well versed in how to properly feed your bird, so the bird will most likely die under your care. Besides, taking care of a baby bird is not easy, as it needs to be fed every 20 minutes or so. After all, you are not equipped to teach the birds like the parent birds, such as how to feed or how to watch out for birds of prey. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Birds can also become accustomed to humans and this is harmful to the bird as it does not know how to fly from humans and may always beg for food from humans. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

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Identify the type of bird. You can look up birds by looking at bird guides online. ^{[19] X Trusted Source The Cornell Lab of Ornithpogy Go to Source}^{[20] X Research Source}

Correct identification is easier if you know a little about the parent bird. However, if the parents are still around, you should let them take care of the chicks. They have a strong instinct to care for their chicks and are well equipped to do so.

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Identify the bird’s food source. What the chicks eat depends on what the parents eat. For example, fire crests eat seeds, ^{[21] X Trusted Source The Cornell Lab of Ornithpogy Go to the source} while crows eat everything from seeds and berries to insects and small rodents. ^{[22] X Trusted Source The Cornell Lab of Ornithpogy Go to source}

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Use cat or dog food with omnivores. If your bird is an omnivore, you can try a dog or cat food. ^{[23] X Research Sources} There are many species of wild birds that are omnivores, and when young they are fed mainly by their parents on insects. That means foods rich in animal protein, like dog or cat food, are suitable for these birds. ^{[24] X Research Source}

If you use dry food, soak it in water first. Soak for 1 hour. However, when you feed the baby bird, make sure it doesn’t soak up too much water, as it can get into the lungs and kill the bird. Food needs to be spongy, not soggy. ^{[25] X Research Sources}
Pellet. Break the food into small pellets, about a pea. Put the food in the bird’s mouth. Using ice cream sticks or chopsticks will make feeding easier. You can also cut the tip of the straw into a small spoon. ^{[26] X Research Source} Chicks will readily accept and eat food, if pellets are too large, break them into small pieces. Basically, you need to make food pellets as small as peas. ^{[27] X Research Source}

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Feed the birds granular food for herbivores. If your bird only eats seeds, use seed food, which you can buy at the pet store. Pet stores often sell nut food for baby parrots. ^{[28] X Research Sources}

Use a syringe to deliver food through the larynx. ^{[29] X Source of study} The larynx is located around the trachea. You should see a small hole in your mouth or at the end of your throat where the windpipe opens. Food and water should not be passed through the trachea. So you need to make sure the tip of the syringe goes through the larynx. ^{[30] X Research Source}

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Feed the bird until it seems full. This means that the chicks will actively eat food when hungry. But if the bird doesn’t look interested, it’s probably full. ^{[31] X Research Source}

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Do not give water to drink. If the feed already contains enough water, the chicks won’t need any more water, at least for the chicks. Giving your bird water can do more harm than good, as you could choke the bird and die. ^{[32] X Research Source}

If the bird seems dehydrated when you first catch it, you can use Gatorade sports drink or lactic acid infusion to replenish water and electrolytes. Use your finger to put a drop into the bird’s beak so the bird can absorb the liquid. Signs of dehydration include dry mouth and red skin. In addition, the skin on the back of the neck will not immediately elastic when pinched if the bird is dehydrated. ^{[33] X Research Sources}