caring for orphan wild baby birds - rescuing them, raising them, their food & care
TRANSCRIPT
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Raising Orphaned Wild Baby Birds
I Found A Baby Bird - What Should I Do?
Rescuing Them, Raising Them, Their Food & Care
Ron Hines DVM PhD
Photos To Help You Identify
Babies Birds
Growth Charts to Plot Their
Progress
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When springtime arrives, many people ask themselves that question. The righ
answer depends on many factors.
1) If the baby bird is not on the ground, leave it alone. As young birds learn to
they leave their nests to perch on adjoining branches and nearby bushes.Because it becomes nearly impossible for their parents to supply their enorm
food needs, hunger motivates them as well. Their parents go from one baby t
the next continuing to feed them through this critical period.
2) Are you sure this bird is a baby? Many sick or stunned adult birds are
mistaken for baby birds. Just because it is spring is no guarantee the bird is
immature.
3) There are certain species of birds that normally rear their babies on the
ground (atricial birds). Killdeer, plovers, shore and sea birds, all duck-like andchicken-like birds are among these. They only need your assistance if they are
found in highly inappropriate areas.
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Many Sites I See Online Suggest I Leave This Baby Bird Alon
Is That A Good Idea Or A Bad Idea?
It is not a good idea or a bad idea. This is a philosophical question and the rig
answer depends on what kind of person you are. There is nothing wrong withletting Mother Nature solve her problems in her own way. The baby you just
found wasn't destined by Her to survive. Letting Nature take its course is fine i
the grand scheme of things. In the United States, it is also politically correct.
if we all accepted that on an individual daily basis, there would be no need for
veterinarians, physicians or good Samaritans.
What Is The Likelihood That This Baby Bird Will Survive If I
Leave It On The Ground ?
Very, very unlikely. Here is why:
Ornithologists are scientists who study birds. Their research has shown that,
the average, less than one third of the baby wild birds that hatch will survive t
first year and that the majority are lost during their first few weeks of life. For
example, studies have found that only 36.7% of Colorado Lark Buntings surviv
their first 20 days, and only 14-29% of Maryland catbirds or Pennsylvania Hood
Warblers make it through their first eight weeks.
These are studies of baby birds that stayed in their nests properly. Think how
much poorer the odds are for the baby bird on the ground that should not be
there. Those with missing feathers, unopened eyes, the weakness of hunger o
injuries are certainly doomed; and those that can not or are reluctant to fly to
branch have only slightly better odds – much less than those quoted in those
scientific studies.
This is because even well-developed young perching birds (song birds) that fi
themselves grounded are defenseless against the snakes, raccoons, and othe
small carnivores that rely on them as their food supply. These critters also hahungry babies to feed at this time of year.
However, most of my readers live in suburban areas. And in suburban areas, t
chief destroyer of young song birds are house cats. The number of young bir
that house cats destroy is impossible to know with certainty. Cat-lovers tend t
minimize the number and bird lovers to maximize it. Researchers at the
University of Wisconsin have estimate that 20-150 million song birds are killed
each year in Wisconsin alone by free-roaming house cats. The US Fish And
Wildlife Service estimates 60 million. I personally know that de-clawing cats or placing bells on their collars does little to deter them. They catch the birds wit
their teeth and by the time the bell rings, the cat is already in the air. Even the
most pampered, well-fed feline has an instinctive urge to kill small creatures
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when given the opportunity.
Why Did This Baby Bird Fall Out Of It’s Nest?
There are a number of reasons that this happens:
1) If the song bird’s nest contained a larger, speckled egg at one point, the nes
was parasitized by a cowbird. The cowbird chick usually pushes the parent's t
chicks out of the nest as it outgrows them.
2) High winds, storms, tree-trimmers or just poorly anchored nests often com
tumbling down or spill out the babies. Baby song birds will also jump or fall
from nests that receive too much direct sun or unseasonable temperatures.
3) Older fledglings that aren’t receiving enough food will often leave their nest
prematurely. This can be due to the absence of one or both of the parents, an
exceptionally large brood or, and most commonly, a lack of enough availableinsects and other food sources in the area. Some birds, such as barn owls ,
intentionally hatch more chicks than they could normally raise - in case of a y
with an exceptionally high rodent population. The larger, more vigorous chick
push the weaker ones out as they vie for food.
4) Pairs of birds that begin nesting a bit too early, or too late or face
unseasonable weather, account for many lost clutches and abandoned nests a
does competition from more aggressive bird species. Nesting activity in song
birds begins in response to the increased length of days that announce springwith little or no regard for weather or food supply.
5) Song birds and other perching birds that nest in hollow trees are sometime
driven out by more aggressive starlings or English sparrows.
6) Parental distractions, such as their reflection in house windows, bird baths
mirrors or two nests of the same species too close together decrease breedin
and fledgling success. This is particularly true for mockingbirds, cardinals,
chipping and song sparrows.
7) Toxic problems such as (PBDEs) lead to weak disoriented chicks and low
breeding success. But this is seen more in fish and meat-eating birds that fee
higher on the food chain, than in song birds that primarily consume seeds an
insects.
How Old Do You Think This Baby Is?
The age of the baby is something you will only be able to estimate. If you have
access to an accurate scale and know what kind of baby bird you have, go togrowth chart page and you can estimate its age from its place on its chart. For
superb day-by-day photographs of robin chicks, try this link . For some other
common wild babies try this publication.
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If that is not an option, here are some general observations for small songbird
Not all "songbirds" have a pleasant songs. They are more accurately called
perching birds and are referred to scientifically as altricial passerines):
1) If the baby’s eyes are still closed it is probably less than 7 days old. The baby in the
photo at the top of this page is a 4-day old mockingbird. If the bird is weak due to stress
or disease, it may also be reluctant to open its eyes.
2) By 12-14 days of age it should have most of its feathers erupted but not fully unfurled
(still in pinfeather form).
3) By 16-20 days it should be completely feathered , fluttering and interested in leaving
the nest.
4) By 22-34 days it should be flying well and able to grasp and eat food on its own
although it will still beg its parents for food.
5) By 40–50 days its tail feathers should be as long as its parents. But it may still be
dependent on its parents for food.
Another common group of birds are born more mature. They are call precocia
birds. Most of them do not have the right shaped feet to perch on branches. T
include ducks and geese, shorebirds like sandpipers, killdeer, plovers, ducks,
grouse, quail and partridge– but there are many more. These birds are born wi
a fine coat of down or fuzz and are able to see, walk and feed themselves as s
as they have dried off and rested upon hatching. Precocial birds leave their ne
as soon as they are hatched and follow their mother about feeding. The
techniques that work for raising babies in this group differ from song birds anso does the food you must offer them.
Should I Put The Baby Back In It’s Nest If I Can Find It?
Returning the baby to its nest rarely works. This is because it probably fell out
left its nest for one of the seven reasons I mentions earlier. Unless you are
fortunate enough to be able to correct one of those a reason, the baby will fall
again, starve or be eaten. Just putting it back rarely corrects the problem that
caused it to fall in the first place.
If the entire nest blew down, you can try to tie or wire it back where it was- or
close by to where it was. But parents often abandon such nests. If they are not
seen feeding the chicks within 1- 1.5 hours, it didn’t work.
If the baby is close to fully feathered but not yet able to perch, you can place it
a shoe box, woven basket or similar container lined with hay or dry leaves in a
safe, elevated, shaded area and wait 1- 2 hours to see if its parents begin feedi
it. I look for containers with sides twice as high as the original nest. Another
technique that works well for babies old enough to grasp your finger tightly isplace it in a leafy bush with many low and high branches. The thick leaves will
conceal the baby from cats, and the many branches allow the baby to graduall
hop to the top - out of harm's way. Its parents will locate it by its cheeping. If t
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bird is too frightend to stay where you put it - try placing it in the bush or tree
again at night. Baby birds are clumsy, hyperactive and excitable.
Baby birds of a younger age are not good candidates for this technique becau
parent birds do not usually feed younger babies in two different locations.
If the baby is weak, injured, soiled , sleepy, or dehydrated do not attempt to
return it. These re-introductions succeed best when the parent birds are still
hovering about, concerned about their missing junior. After your attempt,
observe only from a distance that does not cause the parents concern.
What If The Babies Are Still in The Nest And Their Mother Ha
Abandoned Them?
If you suspect that, you yourself may be the cause of the problem. One ought
bother active bird nests. Nesting songbirds do not like to be disturbed. They
appear to accept your presence, but an instinctive response of even a mildly
distracted bird is to abandon its nest.
If there are dead chick(s) in the nest it is truly abandoned. Attentive parents
quickly throw dead or weakened babies out of the nest. If there are still one or
two living chicks, they too will die unless you remove them and see to their ca
If I Have Touched The Baby Bird Will It’s Parents Reject It?
No, they will not reject it because of that. Mammals identify their offspring bytheir scent. But song birds do not have highly developed sense of smell. They
identify their offspring by the noises the baby makes and it’s appearance.
What Is The Difference Between Precocial and Altricial Baby
Birds?
The type of birds that have the ability to perch on branches are called passerin
birds. These birds are born very immature and helpless with their eyes closed
The scientific term for this immature, helpless state is altricial. Birds that arecalled song birds or perching birds are all in this group. The feet of altricial
chicks have three toes pointing forward and one toe pointing back.
Other birds are born with their eyes open and are capable of walking , followin
their mother and pecking at food almost from the moment they hatch. These
birds are born with a layer of down. The scientific term for this state is precoci
Precocial babies are considerably easier for you to successfully raise than
altricial babies.
Most precocial birds make their nest at ground level. Most altricial birds make
their nest above ground level (common exceptions are the larks).
What Is The Difference Between A Nestling And A Fledgling?
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When a baby bird is still too immature to leave its nest, it is called a nestling.
the time it has acquired enough feathers to fly and the strength to leave its ne
it has become a fledgling. Another defining difference is that nestlings have n
yet developed the muscular strength and coordination to perch and grip - whil
fledglings have. This is Nature’s practical way of seeing to it that baby birds d
not leave their nest too soon.
How Should I Safely Hold A Baby Bird?
For right-handed people, baby birds are best held in a cupped left hand and
covered with the right hand, as in this photo. Babies capable of jumping,
flapping or squirming are best restrained around the lower neck between the
right thumb and forefinger.
Do not hold them by their legs or wings. Move slowly and smoothly. Do not m
loud noises. Older chicks are calmer in subdued light.
Is It Natural For A Baby Bird To Leave Its Nest Before It Can
Fly Well?
It is natural for a baby bird to leave the nest and perch on a nearby branch or
object before it gets the full knack of flying. It is not natural for birds that
normally perch on branches to be the ground. Being on the ground greatly
increases the chances that the baby bird will not survive.
Its flying ability and flying coordination improve rapidly after it leaves the nestBirds steer with their tail feathers, and their wing flight feathers wont give
maximum lift until they are fully developed. So the youngster will remain a
clumsy flier until all its feathers have unfurled and reached their full length.
Are There Any Laws That Say I Can Not Care For This Bird?
Yes, there are plenty of them. Government officials do not care about the fate
any one orphaned wild bird. They care about the fate of wild bird species in
general. Laws that are in force in the United States and Europe are designed toprotect species – not any one baby bird. It would be very difficult to design la
that made exceptions for the birds that drop out of nests.
As a tidbit to public opinion, and in attempt to make things more manageable,
most government agencies make an exception for wildlife rehabilitation cente
However, this is not because they are particularly humane. The US Fish &
Wildlife Service requires that all non-endangered wild birds that cannot be ma
releasable be promptly killed.
Would Taking The Baby To An Experienced Bird RehabilitatiCenter Be Best?
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Yes, in most cases, these people are better trained than you are. Baby birds h
a very high metabolic rate and they can’t go long without a meal. So don’t dall
around. Generally the person in charge at a Center has rehabilitated baby bird
for many years. If you have found a baby sparrow, pigeon or a starling, be sur
to get a specific answer as to what they will do with the baby before you leave
off. Also ask for their criteria for euthanizing wildlife.
There are un-rewarded wildlife angels on this Earth. I have known a few of the
I am sure there are many more. If your little bird survives, help the ones that
were not fortunate enough to find you. If you live on the Eastern Coast of the
United States, I suggest you make a generous donation to Wildlife Inc. If you li
in the Central United States contribute to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation . If y
live in California, send it to The Wild Bird Center, California State University,
Bakersfield.
All birds with hooked beaks (owls, hawks, eagles) have extremely powerful cla(talons) that will hurt you. They develop strength before the birds leave the ne
Once they have locked on to your body they are extremely difficult to pry off.
Herd small ones into a bucket with a broom, or use welders gloves and cover
bucket with a towel so they do not jump out. Place them in a darkened room.
Better yet, coral the bird and call an experienced person to come get it.
Fish-eating shore birds such as herons, egrets and cranes have very sharp be
and an exceptionally long range at which they can spear objects. They can eas
put out an eye. Be very careful with them too.
How Do I Locate An Experienced Wildlife Rehabilitator?
Call your local veterinarians to get leads on experienced folks. Ask your local
humane society. Call your nearest zoo. Game wardens, animal control official
police and other bureaucrats tend to be rather unsympathetic to the plight of
individual animals.
How Can I Find Out What Kind Of Bird This Is?All passerine (perching birds) look very much alike before they feather. So it is
often impossible to know exactly what you have found. Luckily, knowing exact
what species of baby bird you have is not required to successfully raise it.
Go to this page and see if you recognize your bird. Be patient as it takes a whil
to load. If the baby is well feathered, you can also look over over photos on th
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s bird identification website. Another excell
resource to identify birds Worldwide are the photo galleries of pBase.com.
Will I Find Any Two People Giving Me The Same Advice About Care and Diet?
Probably not. I do not know of any scientific studies that have compared diets
methods of care for wild orphan songbirds. People will simply relate to you th
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individual preferences, experiences and successes. This is particularly true w
diet ingredients are discussed. That so many different formulas seem work we
is a tribute to the adaptability of wild birds.
If I Decide To Care For This Baby Bird, What Will I Need?
You will need a secluded area. It need not be large, but it should be airy, clean,uncluttered, well-lit and amenable to temperature regulation. It should not be
accessible to your pets or children. You will need plenty of time. You will need
get organized and follow a schedule. You will need ingenuity because you will
face unexpected situations.
What Should I Keep The Baby Bird In?
Start out with a cardboard shoe box with a small plastic mixing bowl “nest”
within it. Little birds like to fit snuggly into their nests. This works well until th
bird gains enough leg strength to hop out. Then the box must be surroundeda mesh cage. As the birds mature, they tend to fray their feathers if the mesh i
metal (hardware cloth) . If you can construct the outer cage out of vinyl mesh
window screen on a wooden frame, you will not have that problem. You will fi
rolls of it next to the paint isle at WalMart. If you are not a carpenter, you can
wrap the screen around the colorful perforated plastic crates often seen behin
restaurants or used to hold correspondence files. You can also experiment wit
plastic laundry basket. If you do not place a top on it, there will come a time
when the bird jumps out. They can be very hard to locate in your house. And
sometimes, your pet will find them first. So please make the lid early on. Youalso use a second laundry basket, placed upside down over the first one, and
hinged with string as a lid. Whatever ends up being your final enclosure, be su
the baby can not fit through the mesh size. Much of their girth of baby birds is
fluff and they can squeeze through surprisingly small openings.
Line the “nest” with shredded unscented, un-dyed, Scott-type paper towels.
Grass, hay, leaves and twigs are what wild birds make their nests from. But yo
will find them messy, sharp, hard to keep clean and quick to become moldy.
Avoid thread or string-like bedding or frayed towels that can wrap around the
baby’s legs and wings. Change the bedding when it becomes overly soiled or damp. If the nest bowl is the proper . height, the baby bird will lift its butt and
poop over the side.
It is very important that the bottom of the baby’s nest not be smooth or slippe
If the birds feet and legs are not well supported, they will gradually splay outw
causing a condition called spraddle leg. Birds with this problem are sometime
called “swimmers”.
Baby birds that normally nest in hollow trees or cavities should be kept in a
darkened area. It is OK to bring them into the light temporarily to feed and car
for.I do not keep baby birds in an aquarium. It is nice to be able to see the baby, b
it is very hard to keep aquaria from becoming too humid or too hot – particula
when you set them up for the first time. By the time you notice that the baby is
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uncomfortable, it is often too late. However, some wildlife rehabilitators are qu
comfortable and successful using aquaria to hold their baby birds.
As soon as the baby is able to grasp your finger when you feed it, it is time to
place perches here and there in its cage. The baby will find it easiest to perch
branches that its toes cannot completely surround. Do not use branches that
too small in diameter. Do not use branches with sharp points. Do not place
branches in a way that allows them to roll. Scrap them free of poop from timetime or replace them. Do not use the same perches again with subsequent ba
birds.
The Importance Of A Low Stress Environment
It is very hard for human beings to recognize when birds are stressed. When y
peer down at a robin on her nest, she does not leave or show outward signs o
fear. But her heart rate almost doubles and if you repeatedly bother her with y
presence she may well abandon her babies. The same applies to baby birds.They do not show immediate outward signs of stress. But the stress causes th
bird’s body to releases catecholamines and cortisol which slowly destroy thei
health.
Some common causes of baby bird stress are:
1) Excessive handling
2) Improper holding techniques
3) Fledgling fear – when the baby is already solidly imprinted on its parents and fearful of humans
4) Predator fear – birds do not like to be peered down at. Approach and hold them at eye
level
5) Noisy environment
6) Crowding and competition
7) Lack of required dietary nutrients
8) Improper feeding schedules
9) Wrong temperature or humidity
10) Keeping babies of different ages together
11) Taking on more baby birds than you can adequately care for
What If My Cat Brought Me This Bird As A Present?
Cats derive great pleasure from catching birds. They often deliver them to thei
owners with pride, in what appears to be good condition. However, I have hadgreat difficulty in saving these birds. They are usually babies or young-
of-the-year that didn’t recognize that they were in danger.
These babies often died suddenly within 12 - 18 hours of being brought to my
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animal hospital. Many appear to have died of an overwhelming bacterial
infection. We know that the mouths of cats harbor many bacteria – among the
Pasterella multocida. We think that these bacteria gain access to the bird thro
small bites and nicks that may not be readily apparent. No doubt, the stress a
terror of being caught in a cat’s mouth plays a part in these deaths as well. Ma
of these cat-presented babies can be saved with a single timely injection of
antibiotics. Water-soluble injectable antibiotic drugs of the penicillin class (bunot procaine penicillin) such as ammoxicillin and cephalosporins often save
these birds. Giving the medicines orally won’t due. Ask a neighborly veterinari
who works with pocket pets to give the injection for you.
How Do I Tell If It Is Injured or Need First Aid Or Emergency
Treatment?
Not all veterinarians are qualified to make informed health judgments about b
birds. Veterinary medicine is a very broad subject – too broad for any one per to be competent in all areas. If you bring this baby bird to a veterinarian, bring
to one that specializes in birds, wildlife, pocket pets, zoo medicine or who has
personal interest in wildlife rehabilitation. Your local ASPCA or zoo can direct
you to one. There are many dedicated people who care for wildlife who have n
formal degrees. Often, their judgment with baby bird problems is as good or
better than that of a veterinarian.
The following are some common health problems you might encounter in wil
baby birds. This is not an all-inclusive list . It is just a list of some of the morecommon problems I see in baby wild birds.
1) If you removed the baby bird from a cat or a dog, it needs to be looked at by a
veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitator.
2) If it is not alert it needs to be examined by a veterinarian or a professional wildlife
rehabilitator.
3) If there is blood on it or in its container, it needs to be looked at by a veterinarian or a
professional wildlife rehabilitator.
4) If there is blood or pinkness in its stool, it needs to be looked at by a veterinarian or a
professional wildlife rehabilitator.
5) If the baby’s stool becomes mucoid and tenacious or you can not drag a pin through it
without the stool mass following behind, it needs to be looked at by a veterinarian or
professional wildlife rehabilitator.
6) If it is breathing rhythmically with its mouth open, it needs to be looked at by a
veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitator.
7) If its tail feathers bob up and down when it breaths, it needs to be looked at by a
veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitator.
8) If it has apparent broken wing(s) or feet or you feel grinding of any sort when you hold
the bird, it needs to be looked at by a veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitator.
9) If it has developed its feathers but can not stand or grasp, it needs to be looked at by
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a veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitator.
10) If the baby refuses to eat it needs to be looked at by a veterinarian or a professional
wildlife rehabilitator.
11) If the baby does not steadily gain weight until it leaves the nest it needs to be looked
at by a veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitaror. It is normal to loose some
weight at fledging.
12) If the baby develops stress bars (hunger stripes) on its feathers or the ends of its
feathers break off straightly, it needs to be examined by a veterinarian or professional
rehabilitator.
13) If the baby falls to one side or is weak in one leg or wing, it needs to be examined by
a veterinarian or professional wildlife rehabilitator.
14) If the baby’s feathers remain fluffed (ruffled) and it shivers, it needs to be examined
by a veterinarian or professional wildlife rehabilitator.
15) If the baby bird’s unfeathered skin is excessively wrinkly or shiny it may be
dehydrated and needs to be examined by a veterinarian or professional wildliferehabilitator.
16) If you or your family develop health problems, you need to see your physician and let
him know you are caring for a wild baby bird.
What Should I Feed This Baby ?
Despite the varied feeding habits of adult perching birds, all baby birds requir
similar nutrients to grow and thrive. Perching birds that normally feed on
high-protein insects, feed these to their young. But perching birds that normalfeed on seeds, fruits and berries also feed insects to their young until they lea
the nest. This is because seeds, fruits and berries do not have enough protein
content to sustain the enormous growth rate of baby birds.
The exceptions are dove/pigeon-like birds and parrots. They feed partially
digested seeds mixed with high-protein secretions from their crops. The other
exceptions are birds that feed on fish or small animals and hummingbirds.
These groups need taylor-made diets I will write about later.
Precocial birds - the ones that are born with their eyes open and ready-to-go -should be feed the same food items that their parents eat.
If you determine that you have a baby perching bird (other than the exceptions
have mentioned), feed it a diet consisting of approximately 60% soaked, Purin
kitten chow, 20% diced hard boiled egg and 20% mealworms when they are
available. Birds that do well on this mixture are the ones that have an I, IF, IS, I
or O in the right lower corner of my photographs. I for insects, S for seeds, F f
fruit, O for omnivore. Do not attempt to feed baby seed-eating birds or baby fr
eating birds only what their parents normally eat. The will not grow and thrivethe diets their adult parents consume.
The Kitten Chow 60% :
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Dry Purina Kitten Chow contains approximately 34% protein, 12.5% fat, no mo
than 4% fiber and adequate (1%)calcium. It also contains all the vitamins that
baby birds require. Zoos use diets for baby perching birds that contain 19.5 -
30% protein, 2.5 - 8.2% fat, no more than 2.8-6.5% fiber and 1.1- 1.2% calcium (
2).
You can use another name brand kitten or puppy kibble that meets the standa
of the AAFCO . Chows marketed for puppies and kittens have higher protein,
calcium, and vitamin content that products sold for adult pets. I do not use
niche-market brands or brands sold only through specialty outlets because s
producers don’t have the resources for strict quality control.
The Eggs 20%:
Supermarket eggs of any size are fine. Shell color is not important. Hard boil
them until the shells peel easily. Save and grind up the shells or substitute oncrushed standard Tums-type calcium carbonate tablet for the shell. Whole ,
shelless egg is about 26% protein, 1% carbohydrate, 9% fat, zero fiber, 0.5%
calcium and 180ppm iron.
The Mealworms 20%:
Mealworm larva are available online. Don't be squeamish, they eat them in Chi
They will need to be cut up for little birds. Mealworms are about 20.3% protein,
12.7% fat, 1.7% fiber, and much too low low in calcium as a sole-source diet fo
wild baby birds.
There are a lot of negative sentiments against feeding earthworms. Earthworm
contain whatever pathogens the soil they burrowed through contained. But thi
fear is primarily based on a particular parasite earthworms sometimes carry
called Syngamus trachea, which they ingest as the burrow along in the poop
from previously infected birds. Worms you grow in your organic garden are
probably fine – but their protein and gross energy content is considerably less
than mealworms.
What If I Feed The Baby Bird The Wrong diet?
It is the wrong diet only if its nutrient content differs substantially from the on
gave. There are many ways to get to a good nutritional diet – you will find oodl
of recipes on the internet and many of them are just fine. Some people who ca
for orphan baby birds have their "lucky" formulas with a pinch of this and a
smidgen of that. Working with large numbers of baby birds while running an
animal hospital, I try to keep my list of ingredients short.
Diets too low in protein (less than 28%) can result in stunted grows, delayed
development, poor plumage, listlessness, swollen bellies and increased
susceptibility to disease. But too much of a good thing can be bad too. Too hi
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a protein level in the diet can lead to kidney damage and gout. Too low a calci
level or too high a phosphorus level will lead to soft bones and rickets.
Baby birds do not handle milk sugar (lactose) well. So do not give your baby b
any products containing milk, lactose or dairy.
Bread and pasta products are “empty” calories. They should only be given to
birds to dilute out other ingredients – not to birds on a well-structured diet.
What Should The Food Consistency Be When I Feed It?
You can alternate feeding bits of moistened kitten chow, egg and mealworm. I
don”t mix the chopped egg with the moistened kibble – because it tends to fal
off the tweezers.
I run the kitten chow through a crank meat grinder before I add water. But you
can just cover the chow with water and place it in the refrigerator until the
formula becomes soft. Once it is soft, it should be heated to 160F (71C) todestroy bacteria, such as salmonella, and then allowed to cool to 95F before it
fed. If you reheat the formula, beware of microwave hotspots that will scald th
baby’s mouth and throat.
You can make a few days batch, freeze it in an ice cube tray and store it in
ziplocks. Thaw only the cubes you are about to use. It is not freezing that
destroys nutrients; it is repeated freezing and thawing.
You would like the feeding consistency of the chow to be as moist as possible
and still be able to pluck up bite size portions in a pair of plastic tweezers.
Thicker than oatmeal - thinner than mashed potatoes.Chop the hard boiled eggs into pieces small enough for the baby to swallow
without a fuss. Do the same with the mealworms.
How Much Should I Feed?
The safest thing to do is to weigh the baby frequently on a diet or postage scal
It must gain weight every day until it is ready to fly.
As a rule of thumb, baby songbirds double their hatching weight within 4-6 da
of hatching. That rapid weight gain should continue for the next two weeks.
During this period, baby birds generally eat about 10–15% of their body weigh
per feeding. For example, a 37 gram baby might eat 3.7-5.5 cc of moist diet (3/
1 teaspoon). This is only a rule of thumb. Always continue the feeding until th
baby only responds half-heartedly to stimulation.
Do not attempt to feed them that very last morsel that they will half-heartedly
accept. If you are concerned with slow weight gain, it is safer to increase the
frequency of your feeding rather than the feeding portion size.
When babies gain weight slower, or don’t gain at all, there is a problem. It can
the first and only sign that you have a problem before it is too late to do anythi
about it.
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How Often Should I Feed ?
Naked, unfeathered babies with closed eyes need to be fed every 15-20 minute
from sunrise to sunset.
Once their eyes have opened and their feathers are sprouting, you can drop to
feeding every 30-45 minutes. As they grow, slowly increase the amount you fe
them at each feeding and stretch the interval between feeding. The baby will h
tell you – when it isn’t hungry, it will not open its mouth or it will sling the foo
morsel out. By the time it is hopping out of the nest, it can be fed every hour.
it becomes more confident out of the nest, reduce the feedings to every 2-3
hours. By that time, it may show a bit of interest in food items placed in its ca
What Is The Best Feeding Technique?
You do not need to worry about food going down the wrong way. Baby birds cswallow remarkably large objects. As soon as the object is in their mouth, thei
glottis locks shut, preventing them from inhaling the food into their lungs. Thi
reflex does not work well when the food you feed is too liquid.
I like to feed songbirds with disposable plastic forceps. You can carve the end
with an Exacto knife or razor blade to the approximate size of the adult parent’
beak. Flame polish the carved surface with a lighter so it does not have sharp
edges or a point. I only use syringes to feed pigeons, doves and parrots the
soupy formulas they require
Older babies, stubborn ones and weak ones may be slow to initially accept foo
from you. Be patient. Rub the forceps gently along the birds beak, jar their
"nest". That usually stimulates them to open their mouth (“beg” or “gape”).
How Fast Should My Baby Bird Grow?
Look through the growth charts I have drawn for some common foundlings to
get an idea how fast your baby bird will grow. Your baby will not grow exactly
the charts predict. The explanation why that is, is on the chart page following t
graphs themselves. Some of the birds I have graphed are definitely not
songbirds. Do not attempt to raise any of these larger birds yourself.
Pigeons and Doves
Baby pigeons and doves parrot-like birds are a special cases. They place their
bills inside their mother's mouth, which causes her to regurgitate a mixture
called “Pigeon milk”.
They are best fed with a 3 ml plastic disposable syringe with the needle removI usually ream out the diameter of the needle end of the syringe with a 1/8” dril
bit to make the formula flow through more easily. If not, the formula needs to
liquefied in a blender. If you boil a 2.5-inch section of clear IV tubing, you can
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work it over the end of the syringe. Shorter sections of tube that work loose ar
sometimes swallowed by baby birds.
Rolling the baby’s soft beak gently between your thumb and forefinger will
usually begin it’s wing trembling and drinking response. Do not overfeed thes
birds. Feed slowly. Stop feeding just before the level of milk in their crops
reaches the base of their neck. Do not feed again until their crop is empty. Besure the formula is not too hot or it will scald through the crop wall.
Pigeon formulas hardens like cement. So after you finish feeding, clean off the
birds beak and neck feathers with a dampened Kleenex.
Pigeons and doves do well when fed Kaytee Exact - hand feeding formula for
parrots.
They also do well on a mixture of commercial feed store turkey starter and wa
Mix one part starter with an equal volume of warm water. Blend it to soup-likeconsistency and let it stand in the fridge. After a time, it will thicken up. Then
more water and blend it again to a soup like consistency. You can make ice
cubes from it and store them in the freezer. Feed the thawed or fresh mixture
about 85-95F.
I do not like to purchase turkey starter by the scoop-full from uncovered bins
because of rodent contamination problems. Chicken starter will also do. You c
use the large part you won't be using in your bird feeder.
Because doves, pigeons and parrots store a large volume of food in their crop
They do not need to be fed nearly as frequently as other bird species.
Should I Provide Water?
Not until the baby bird is walking or perching. Never give it water or watery flu
by mouth. If it is dehydrated, it needs the fluids by injection. Dehydrated birds
are too weak to absorb fluids through their stomach and intestines. When give
orally, it usually just passes down into their lungs.
Once the bird is perching or walking in its cage, place several shallow contain
(jar lids) of water and change them frequently. Place a clean stone in the cente
the lid so they do not stand in it or tip it.
What About Parasites?
Parasites are only an problem in social nesters. Examine pigeons, swallows a
other community nesters closely for body mites. They are very tiny. If you beg
to itch – check them again.
If you locate any, the safest approach is to pick them off with tweezers and dro
the unwanted critters in a small glass of rubbing alcohol. At the same time, yo
will need to change everything out in the baby's cage or boil it. Also, hose the
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cage out well.
When pigeons or doves are found with developed feathers, pigeon flies can be
problem. They are fast! Any water-based kitten/puppy flea spray that contains
only pyrethrins and pipronyl butoxide can be applied to baby pigeons sparingl
to kill these critters. It works well on all surface parasites except ticks.
Does My Baby Need A Vitamin Supplement?
No. If you are feeding one of the diets I suggested, no added vitamins or
minerals are needed.
Do I Need To Provide Grit?
Not until the baby is eating whole seeds. Birds do not need grit when they are
eating a diet that is already ground up.
Do I Need To Accustom The Baby To It’s Natural Diet Before I Let It Go?
Yes. Much of your bird’s preferences in food are instinctive. But you will give i
head start if you accustom it to eating the things it will normally feed on in the
wild. For birds that will primarily feed on insects, place mealworms, crickets a
other small critters in its cage. Leaving the light on, on your front porch shoul
attract a number of food candidates. Don’t feed ants or indoor cockroaches.
Things living under flagstones are usually fine. It will be hard work locating
enough insects to meet the youngster's needs. So, it is OK to also offer
supplemental moistened kitten chow crumbles.
For seed-eaters, a fortified cockatiel seed mix works well. Supermarket wild bi
seed is not a suitable diet. Seed-eaters must have grit. The best is ground oys
shell. You will need to crush it with a hammer as it is sold too large for
songbirds.
A mixture of diced fruits works well for birds that normally eat fruits and berri
Do not include avocado.
It will be slow going, because it is hunger as much as curiosity that motivates
baby birds to feed on their own. That fledgling hunger is what causes the dip i
their growth curve just before they leave their nest. With you as an ever-prese
source of lunch, they don’t have their normal motivation.
Do not stop feeding them “cold turkey” – just gradually cut back.
Does The Baby Need Quite Time and Sleep?
Yes, the room it is kept in should be dark when it is dark outside.
What Should I Keep The Temperature Set At ?
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Before baby birds are well feathered, they are very susceptible to chilling. This
because their body surface is very large in proportion to their body weight an
because they lack insulating feathers.
Small songbirds bodies operate a much higher temperature than yours. The
average human body temperature is 98.6F. That of an English Sparrow is abou
105 F. Once the baby is well feathered, it can maintain this high body temperat
using its food calories as fuel. But before it is fully feathered, it needs you to
keep its temperature up. You can do this with a heat lamp similar to the one in
this photo. It should be kept at 95F for the bird’s first week of life then droppe
degrees per week until the baby has fledged.
It is very important not to overheat the baby. To prevent this, you need an
aquarium thermometer places next to the infant bird and you spend a lot of ti
in the set up. Check the thermometer temperature frequently. Drafts can cause
inaccurate reading. If it gets too hot, altricial babies can not move away from theat as little chicks and other mobile precocial babies can.
Some people are more comfortable using a heating pad under the baby’s
container set at its lowest setting. If you use a heat lamp, be sure it is not a
Teflon-coated shatter-proof bulb. Hair dryers can also be a source of toxic Tefl
I find than an ordinary 40 watt light bulb placed in a tin can works quite well.
The acceptable temperature range for baby songbirds is a narrow range. Too
high a temperature will cause them to dehydrate. If you are very careful to avoi
fire hazard, you can drape a towel over the cage to help hold in heat. Too low
temperature leads to digestive upsets and infections. Chilled baby cannot dig
their food.
What About Humidity?
The wild birds that nest in your area have adapted to your local humidity level
You only need to adjust humidity if your house is air-conditioned or you run
dehumidifiers. Air conditioners lower room humidity. If you cover the bird’s c
with a towel, you can keep one end of it dipped in a bowel of water outside itscage. Close the AC vent to the room will also help, as long as it does not beco
unbearably hot.
What About Lighting?
Baby birds do best in natural sunlight or a full-spectrum substitute. If a potted
Philodendron does fine in the room, the baby should do well too. Baby birds
need UV light to manufacture their own vitamin D. Full wavelength lighting
probably also helps them learn to eat more rapidly on their own. However, the
cat chow and turkey starter you are using are fortified with enough vitamin D t
meet your baby’s needs.
Can I Tell A Male Baby From A Female Baby Bird?
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I cannot do it and there is really no reason to know. When you have more than
one juvenile songbird, the larger ones tend to be the males. In hawks and owl
is reversed – the larger ones are usually females. Feather colors do not differ
until the bird’s matures. There are DNA and laparoscopic techniques – but the
don’t apply here.
What Are Some Common Problems I Might Encounter In Raising This Baby?
Sometimes, baby birds are just too weak to survive when you find them. The
smaller, unfeathered ones are just too fragile to survive long without food or
proper temperature. If you encounter a baby in that condition, bring it to a bir
rehabilitation center or a kind-hearted veterinarian and hope for the best.
If you follow my suggestions as to diet and environment, the most common
remaining problem is not using a well enough constructed cage and having
babies hopping out, getting lost in the house, underfoot or caught by your pet
Spraddle leg can occur if the bird must stand on a slick surface. Hopelessly tababies are hard to successfully release. Too small a cage leads to worn and
broken feathers.
Will It Learn To Fly?
Yes, baby bird’s ability to fly is instinctive. It just wont happen as quickly in a
bird you raise by hand. You will need a spacious flight cage, screened gazebo
a screen porch – don’t let baby birds fly around your house. Open toilets, ceili
fans, mirrors windows and lit stoves are all major hazards.
When Should I Release It?
The first week after release is the most dangerous for hand-raised baby birds.
The time to release baby birds is when they are eating well on their own and
capable of confident flight.
The biggest problem is that many baby bird species are fed by their parents fo
months after they leave their nests. I don’t have an easy answer for this – just
what you feel is best. I take city birds to a large park and release them there. InChicago, I took them deep into the Forest Preserve, in Sarasota, FL, I released
them on large tracts of county-owned land. If this is a suburban bird, leave it’s
cage door open and its food bowl full and let it decide when not to return. In
Northern Israel, I had barn owl chicks return every night for food for over 6
months.
What Is Imprinting And How Will It Affect This Bird’s Future?
All animals decide what they are during their first few weeks of life. That mean
whoever feeds them is what they think they are. This is called imprinting.Imprinting as a human can make life very hard for a baby bird. It can be a big
enough problem so as to make successful release impossible.
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For that reason, handle your little bird as little as possible. Keep their cage are
screened of from passing people in the house. Do not expose them to the sigh
of pets or children. Babies of birds that can walk from birth are particularly
susceptible to imprinting on people. It is also a bigger problem in species of
birds that form flocks.
This mis-imprinting on humans is contrary to the inborn, genetic tendency of
birds. So with time, it becomes less and less of a problem - if you do not
reinforce it with human contact.
What Should I Feed Birds That Normally Eat Fish?
The babies of fish-eating birds (those that live near water) need to be feed a di
of fish. The fish needs to be brought to room temperature, minced into
appropriately small sizes and fed with forceps. Fish from the supermarket will
not do. The baby needs to consume all the parts of the fish – bones, guts and- in order to receive all of the nutrients it requires. Fishing bait stores are a go
source of minnows. Ask for the ones that bellied-up in the tanks and were mo
to the fridge. It is OK if these fish are frozen – but not if they are stale. Stale fis
do not have enough thiamine and they contain rancid oils that are unhealthy t
the baby birds. I freeze them all to destroy the parasites they sometimes conta
What Should I feed Birds of Prey?
Small owls and hawks normally eat insects as well as small rodents and birds.
Their menu items get larger as their species size increases. To thrive, these bineed to consume all of their prey. What they don’t utilize, they will cough back
as a casting.
You can purchase appropriately sized rodents and frozen chicks from Rodent
Gourmet and appropriate insects from Grubco. Local snake people will know
where to find them. These birds need to learn to hunt in order to survive. As t
mature, their food needs to be offered to them alive. This is a really gruesome
business and not for everyone. You can’t just drop in the rodent – you need to
stay and be sure it does not bite the bird. That is why I suggest you drop thesyoungsters off at rehab centers when you find them.
What Should I Feed Chicken-like Birds?
All gallinaceous birds (chukars, pheasant, peafowl, quail) do well on turkey
starter or game bird starter. They need a shallow water dish from day one. Fill
with marbles so they don’t stand in it.
What Should I Feed Baby Ducks and Geese?
They also do well on turkey starter and wild game bird starter. They need a
shallow water dish from day one. Fill it with marbles so they don’t stand in it.
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What About Shore Birds and Killdeer?
Plovers, avocets and killdeer do well from day one on a diet of mixed insects
crustaceans that are appropriately small for their size. They also enjoy tubifex
worms you buy at a pet fish store and the small sea life you find under the kel
when the tide recedes. You can add pieces of minced, hardboiled egg and
shrimp. Remember, these birds need a water dish from day one. I fill it with
marbles to keep the birds from standing in it. Place the food items in a very
shallow tray of water. Do not allow them to become stale.
What Should I Feed A Baby Hummingbird?
Hummers do well on Nektar-Plus They will not live more than a few days on th
hummingbird food sold in supermarkets. There are some home-made formul
but I have no experience with them.
Can My Family Or I Get Sick From Handling This Baby Bird?
Yes, such a thing could happen. But it probably won’t if you are healthy. Publi
health and wildlife regulatory officials use this excuse to try to talk you out of
helping the bird.
Adopting and caring for wild baby birds is not a good idea if you or members
your household are fragile elderly folks, or if you have pre-existing health
problems that weaken your immune system. It is also not a good idea for peo
with asthma, emphysema or other lung problems.
Birds that do not nest in large groups are not a significant source of disease t
can infect humans. Avian flu is only a significant problem in migrating waterfo
and domestic chickens.
Breathing in bird dander can be a problem. Dust and dander are worst when
feathers are sprouting. So be sure that your home is well ventilated and that y
use the most efficient air filters you can find on your heating/AC ducts. Cleani
with an ordinary vacuum cleaner just moves fine dust particles into the air whyou will inhale them. Lung problems caused by bird dander are called pigeon
lung disease. This problem, when it occurs, is worst in individuals that smoke
But it can affect anyone.
There are a number of infectious agents that are not very particular as to whet
they live in a bird, other animals or humans. If you are a worry wart, they inclu
salmonella, the organism that causes parrot fever , cryptosporidium, avian
tuberculosis, campylobacter and giardia. I have been caring for orphan baby
birds since I was 11. That was half a century ago. I do not know of anyone whowas seriously injured by a disease they caught from a fallen baby bird. Wildlif
rehabilitation centers and the people that run them face their own unique healt
hazards because they are generally understaffed, under funded, overcrowded
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and overwhelmed with seasonal babies and injured and sick wildlife of every
kind.
There are some steps you can take to minimize potential health problems:
1) Do not keep orphan wild birds in your kitchen, near food storage or in high traffic
areas
2) Wash your hands before and after handling wild birds or cleaning their cages. You are
just as likely to infect birds with unhealthy bacteria as they are to infect you. Better yet,
wear disposable gloves when tending to your orphan. If you don't, rinse your hands with
70% isopropyl alcohol after you have handled them. Do it where the fumes will not
intoxicate the bird.
3) Store refrigerated items in well-sealed containers.
4) After removing soiled material, dip all utensils in a mixture of one part household
bleach and twenty parts water. Then air dry them thoroughly before you use them again.
Bleach does not work well when thick grim is present.
6) Keep the bird on shredded newspaper or plain, untreated absorbent paper towels and
change them daily.
7) Do not mix sick birds with healthy birds and care for sick ones last.
8) Be clean. Fallen food attracts rodents. Wild mice and rats carry diseases that can
affect you and the baby bird.
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