How to Raise Baby Birds

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This article was co-written by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Elliott is a veterinarian with more than thirty years of experience in veterinary surgery and pet treatment. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary surgeon. She has worked at a veterinary clinic in her hometown for more than 20 years.

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Lost baby birds are a common sight in spring, their pitiful cry awakening the maternal instincts of even the most hardened of souls. It’s a natural reflex that you’ll want to keep it to nurture. But before you do, you need to assess the situation and make sure you’re doing what’s best for the baby bird. Is it really abandoned? Is there an animal shelter that can take better care of it than you? If you decide to raise your own chicks, know that it will take a lot of work — young birds are very fragile and need to be fed several times a day. If you think you need to do this then this article will tell you all about feeding and caring for young birds.

Table of Contents

Assess situation

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Determine if it is a dependent chick or an independent chick. The first thing you need to determine is whether the bird can feed on its own after hatching or must be raised by its parents. A dependent chick is a bird that does not open its eyes when hatched, has no feathers, and is completely nourished and warmed by its parents. Most perching and songbirds are dependent birds upon hatching, such as robins, jays and fire-crested birds. Independent chicks are birds that are more fully developed at birth, eyes open soon after birth, and have soft down feathers. They can walk and follow their mother around in search of food. Some examples are porcupines, ducks, and geese.

Independent chicks are much easier to care for than dependent chicks, but they rarely need help. Independent chicks often nest close to the ground so they don’t fall or get pushed out. If you see a stray baby bird on its own, try to bring it back to its mother before adopting it.
Fully dependent chicks cannot take care of themselves and must be raised. In the suburbs, it is common for dependent young birds to fall or be pushed out of the nest. In some cases, you can bring it back to the nest or will have to take care of it yourself. You can also ignore it and let things happen according to the laws of nature.

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Determine if it is a baby bird or a robin. If you see a baby bird of the perching or songbird species and suspect that it has fallen out of the nest or has been abandoned, you must determine whether it is a baby bird or a robin. Young birds are chicks that are not yet mature enough to leave the nest, because they have not yet grown their feathers and may not have opened their eyes. Birds are clearly grown chicks with fully developed plumage and strong enough to learn to fly. They can leave the nest and know how to perch on tree branches.

If it’s a baby bird it should be in the nest, and something is definitely wrong. Perhaps it fell or was pushed out of the nest by stronger young. Abandoned chicks have almost no chance of survival if left unattended.
If you happen to see a bird out, you should observe for a while to assess the situation before acting heroically. On the surface it looks like the bird has fallen from the nest or is abandoned, flapping its wings and crying helplessly on the ground, but it is actually learning to fly. If you observe long enough, you will probably see the parent return to feed it periodically. If this is the case then obviously you should not interfere. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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If possible, you should put the chicks back in the nest. If the bird you see is definitely a baby bird and it is lying helpless on the ground, you should return it to the nest. First you need to see if it is possible to place the bird’s nest on a nearby tree or bush. These locations are discreet and difficult for predators to reach. You can then hold the bird in one hand, covering it with your other hand to keep it warm. Look for signs of injury, if it’s okay then gently put it back in the nest.

Don’t worry about the parents not accepting the chicks because of the “human” smell. This information is incorrect, because birds have a very poor sense of smell, so they can only recognize chicks by sight and hearing. They almost always accept chicks brought back to the nest.
After placing the chicks back in the nest, leave quickly — don’t hang around waiting for the parents to return as you will only scare them away. If possible, you should observe the bird’s nest with binoculars from indoors.
Remember, many chicks are unlikely to survive even if they are returned to the nest. If it is the weakest of the litter, it is possible that the stronger chicks will push it out of the nest again, as they compete for food and the mother’s warmth.
If you find dead chicks in the nest, the nest has been abandoned, so it won’t do any good to bring the chicks back to the nest. In this situation, you will have to care for the baby bird along with its surviving brothers, if you want them to survive. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Feed the baby birds

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Feed the chicks every 15-20 minutes from morning to night. Young birds need to be fed very often — in fact, the parents have to feed them hundreds of times a day. To replicate this dense feeding schedule, you must feed the chicks every 15-20 minutes from morning to night.

Once the bird’s eyes are open and feathers are growing, you can extend the feeding schedule to 30-45 minutes. You can then gradually increase the amount of food each feeding and decrease the number of feedings accordingly.
Once the bird is healthy enough to leave the nest and start bouncing around the box, you only need to feed it once an hour. Slowly increase this time to 2-3 hours after each feeding and start leaving some food in the box to allow the bird to practice pecking.

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What is baby bird food? Opinions vary on what kind of food to feed your baby birds, but most experts agree that as long as the chicks are getting enough nutrients, it doesn’t matter what food they choose. Although different bird breeds require different diets — some eat insects, some eat seeds and berries — most chicks have very similar needs, which is a food that must have a high nutritional value. high protein content.

The best starter diet for newly hatched dependent chicks is made up of 60% small-grain dog or kitten food, 20% hard-boiled eggs and 20% bird worms (available online). ^{[1] X Research Source}
The granule food needs to be added with water until it is sponge-like, but not as liquid as water because the chicks can choke from too much water. Hard-boiled eggs and worms for birds should be cut small enough for the bird to swallow.

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Change your diet gradually over time. As the bird gets older and starts to dance, you can gradually change the diet by adding an adult bird’s food.

Insectivores will eat very finely chopped earthworms, grasshoppers, and crickets, along with any other insects you get from the insect catcher. ^{[2] X Research Source}
Fruit-eating birds will eat berries, grapes, and raisins soaked in water.

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Know which birds need special diets. Exceptions to the above diet are: pigeons, parrots, hummingbirds, fish-eating birds, birds of prey and birds that are self-sufficient after hatching.

Pigeons and parrotbills often eat “kite milk”, which is belched out by their parents. To mimic this diet, you must feed the chicks with a formula designed for parrots (available at pet stores) using a plastic syringe with the needle removed.
Although you’re less likely to come across other birds, their dietary requirements are as follows: Hummingbirds need a nectarine formula, fish-eating birds need minced minnow (available at the store. fish bait), birds of prey will eat insects, rodents and smaller birds, and independent chicks can feed on chicks. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Do not give the chicks bread or milk. Many people make the mistake of feeding their chicks milk or bread. Unlike mammals, milk is not a natural component of a bird’s diet and cannot be digested by birds. Bread contains many empty calories and does not provide enough nutrients for birds. All bird foods should be allowed to cool to room temperature.

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Use correct feeding technique. You need to feed the chicks carefully. The best feeding tools are blunt tweezers or plastic tongs. If you don’t have these, use chopsticks small enough to fit in the beak. Each time you feed, you clamp a little food with tweezers or tongs or use chopsticks to drop into the bird’s beak. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Don’t worry about the food falling into the wrong place because the bird’s larynx will automatically close while it is eating.
If the bird does not open its beak, tap the bird’s beak with a feeder or gently rub the food around the edge of the beak. This motion lets the bird know it’s time to eat. If the bird still doesn’t open its beak, gently open it.
Feed the bird until it refuses to open its beak or begins to refuse food. You must not overfeed the bird.

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Avoid giving water to birds. Usually you should not give water to young birds because the liquid can easily enter the lungs and cause them to suffocate. You should only give it water when it is old enough to dance around the box. By then you can place a shallow tray of water in the box (like a plastic jar lid) for the bird to drink on its own.

You can put a stone or some marble in the water tray so that the birds don’t jump in it.
If you believe your baby bird is dehydrated, take it to your veterinarian or bird rescue worker to have it vaccinated.

Baby bird care

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Make temporary nests for birds. To make a bird’s nest, you can take a cardboard box with a lid, like a shoebox, and poke a few holes in the bottom of the box. Place a small plastic or wooden bowl in the bin and line it with paper towels. This will be the right nest for the baby bird.

Never line the nest with fibrous or shredded material as the bird’s wings or beak can get tangled in it. You should also not use grass, leaves, and small branches because they are damp and susceptible to mold.
You should change the nest lining material when it is damp or dirty. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Keep birds warm. If the bird gets wet or cold, you must warm it up as soon as you put it in the nest. There are several ways to warm a bird. If you have a heating pad, set it to low and place the nest on it. An alternative is to pour warm water into a zip-lock bag and place it in the nest or hang a 40-watt light bulb over the bird’s nest.

Keeping the nest at room temperature is very important, so it’s best to keep the thermometer in the box. If the chicks are less than a week old (eyes closed, no feathers), the temperature in the box should be around 35 degrees Celsius. The temperature can drop to 5 degrees every week.
You must also place the box in a place away from direct sunlight and drafts. This is because newly hatched chicks are very susceptible to cold and overheating, their large body surface area is not proportionate to their weight, and the birds have not yet grown insulated feathers.

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Create a quiet environment for the chicks. Baby birds will not grow well unless kept in a quiet, stress-free environment. When a baby bird is under stress, its heart rate increases and is not good for health. Therefore, you should put the box in a quiet place, where pets and children can’t go. You should also avoid the following:

Excessive touching of birds or improper handling of birds, loud noise, inappropriate temperature, excessive number of chicks, unstable feeding schedule or incorrect feeding.
You should observe and hold the bird at eye level because the bird does not like being viewed from above. They will think you are a predator if viewed from above.

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Make a bird growth chart. You should monitor your bird’s growth by weighing it every day to make sure it’s gaining weight using a feed or parcel scale. Birds need to increase in weight daily and within 4-6 days will double their hatching weight. Birds must continue to gain weight rapidly during the first two weeks.

To see if a bird is growing normally for its species, you need to consult a growth chart.
If the bird is gaining weight very slowly or not at all, something is definitely wrong. In this situation, you should take the bird to a veterinarian or animal shelter immediately, or it may die. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Let the birds learn to fly and then release them back into the wild. Once the baby bird has fully grown its feathers, you need to move it to a large cage or let it out on a fenced porch so it can spread its wings to practice flight. Don’t worry about the bird not knowing how to fly — the bird’s ability to fly is instinctive, so after a few days of trying it will. Birds need to learn to fly about 5-15 days.

Once the bird is proficient in flight and reaches the required altitude, it is ready to be released back into the wild. Take it to a place where you see many birds of the same species and plenty of food, then release it.
If you plan to release the bird into the garden, you can put the cage outside and open the cage door. The bird will then decide for itself whether to fly away or not.
The fewer birds that are kept in captivity, the higher their chances of survival in the wild, so don’t delay the release date. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Warning

Birds can bite or peck you. Be careful because birds are wild animals.

Steps

Assess situation

Feed the baby birds

Baby bird care

Warning

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