How to Feed Wild Baby Birds

Co-authored by Jeff Jones

Last Updated: August 3, 2024 Fact Checked

Most people forget that baby birds are actually wild animals. The best solution for a wild animal is almost always to leave it alone, especially since it is illegal to keep wild birds in your home. However, if you must take it in or feed it, this article will provide you with the information you need to care for it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Deciding If the Baby Bird Needs Help

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1
Put on gloves. If you plan on touching the bird, use gloves. Gloves will protect you from the bird. Even young birds can use their beaks to peck you.
- There's a myth that touching a baby bird will transfer your human scent to it, causing the mother to reject it, but that's actually not the case.^{[1]
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  National Audubon Society
  Nonprofit environmental organization focused on conservation, citizen science, and public science education
  
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If a baby bird has feathers, it's a fledgling. If it doesn't, it's a nestling.

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3
Leave fledglings alone.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist

Expert Interview. 13 May 2021.} Fledglings have good reason to be outside the nest. If a bird is fully feathered, it's likely learning to fly. They are supposed to be out of the nest. The parents will still feed it even on the ground.
- Use the finger test if you're unsure. If you can't decide whether you have a fledgling or a nestling, try letting the bird sit on your finger. If the bird can grip adequately, it's likely a fledgling.^{[3]
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- Many young birds are left alone by parents on purpose in between feeding them. This way they don’t attract attention to them.^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jeff Jones
  Bird Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 13 May 2021.}
4
Return nestlings to the nest. Nestlings are more likely to need help. If you find a nestling, you can return it to its nest, which should be close by. If you can't find a nest, you may need to find it help.
- Try listening for the siblings. When the parents return with food, you should be able to find the nest fairly easily by following the sound of the nestlings begging to be fed.
- To catch a nestling, approach the bird with one hand over the head and back and one hand under the belly and legs. Do not worry that the mother will reject the bird because you have handled her baby. She will readily accept it back into her nest.
- Warm the nestling by cradling it in your hands until the bird no longer feels cool to your touch.^{[5]
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If you do find the nest and the other nestlings are dead, you can safely conclude that the nest has been abandoned, and you will have to take in the surviving nestling(s).
If you worry about leaving the bird in the nest alone, you can check to see if a parent returns by watching it for the next couple of hours.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist

Expert Interview. 13 May 2021.} However, make sure you keep a safe distance, as the parents may not return if you are too close.^{[7]
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7
Create a makeshift nest. The nest may have been destroyed by storms, a predator, or humans. If you can't find the nest, create your own. You can use a small plastic container. Line it with something soft, such as a washcloth or small towel or blanket.^{[8]
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- Place the nest in a shady spot near where you found the bird. You can nail it to the tree. Set the bird inside, making sure to place its feet under its body.^{[9]
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Always wash your hands after handling a bird. Birds can carry diseases, so it's best to thoroughly clean your hands when you're done.^{[10]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Knowing When to Call for Help

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If the parents don't return to the nest within a couple of hours or if you're sure the parents are not alive anymore, you'll need to call for help for the bird.^{[11]
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If the bird has trouble moving or flapping its wings, it's likely injured. Also, if the bird is shivering, it may be in trouble. An injured bird is also a reason to make a call.^{[12]
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It's actually illegal to keep and raise a wild bird. You must have special permits from both the local and federal governments to raise wild animals.^{[13]
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4
Call a wildlife rehabilitator.^{[14]
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Expert Source

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist

Expert Interview. 13 May 2021.} Wildlife rehabilitators have the skills and training to care for baby birds. You can find one on your local government's wildlife websites, or you can try calling a local veterinarian or animal shelter, as they may know rehabilitators in the area.^{[15]
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Research source} It's better to take the bird to a wildlife rehabilitator than to try and feed it yourself.^{[16]
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National Audubon Society
Nonprofit environmental organization focused on conservation, citizen science, and public science education

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- Ask for advice on how to keep the baby bird safe and warm.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Identifying and Feeding the Bird

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1
Understand the risks. Remember that by keeping the bird, you are performing an illegal act. Also, you likely do not have the expertise to feed the bird properly, so it very well may die under your care. Also, caring for a baby bird is not easy, as it needs to be fed every 20 minutes or so. Finally, you are not equipped to teach the bird what its parents do, such as how to hunt for food or how to be on the lookout for predators.^{[17]
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The Humane Society of the United States
National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare

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- The bird also may become so accustomed to humans that it may come to harm because it doesn't know to fly from humans and may come to expect its food from humans at all times.^{[18]
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  The Humane Society of the United States
  National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare
  
  Go to source}
2
Identify the type of bird. You may be able to match the species by looking at an online field guide such as The Cornell Lab of Ornithology ^{[19]
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The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Research lab of Cornell University dedicated to interpreting and conserving the Earth's biological diversity through research and education about birds

Go to source} or the Audubon Society's Guide to North American Birds.^{[20]
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- Positive identification will be easier if you catch a glimpse of the parents. However, if the parents are still around, you should let them take care of the baby. They have strong instincts to care for their young and are well equipped to do so.
What your baby bird will eat depends on what its parents eat. For instance, cardinals eat seeds,^{[21]
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Trustworthy Source

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Research lab of Cornell University dedicated to interpreting and conserving the Earth's biological diversity through research and education about birds

Go to source} while crows eat everything from nuts and berries to insects and small rodents.^{[22]
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The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Research lab of Cornell University dedicated to interpreting and conserving the Earth's biological diversity through research and education about birds

Go to source}
4
Get commercial wild bird food for the best results. If you're determined to feed the baby bird or aren't able to immediately take it to a wildlife rehabilitation center, run over to your local pet store. Find formula or food made for the type of baby bird you're taking care of, and follow the directions on the package.^{[23]
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Use cat or dog food for an omnivore in a pinch. If your bird is an omnivore, you can try feeding it canned dog or cat food.^{[24]
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Research source} Warm the food to 104–106 °F (40–41 °C). Use a small spoon with the sides bent up and inward to feed the bird when its crop is empty. Don't try to force the bird to eat if it doesn't seem interested, as this could cause aspiration.^{[25]
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- Mix and heat new food for each feeding.
6
Feed birdseed formula to herbivores. If your bird eats seeds alone, use seed formula, which you can find at a pet store. Pet stores often carry seed formula for baby parrots.
- Use a syringe to push the food past the glottis. The glottis goes around the trachea. You'll see a small hole in the mouth or at the back of the throat where the trachea opens. You do not want to get food or water in the trachea. Therefore, make sure the tip of the syringe moves past the glottis.^{[26]
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That is, the baby will actively eat food when it is hungry. If it doesn't seem enthusiastic, it is probably full.^{[27]
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8
Do not provide water. If the food is sufficiently soaked, the baby bird should not need any more water, at least as long as it is a nestling. Providing water can do more damage than good, as you can cause the bird to aspirate and die.^{[28]
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- If the bird seems dehydrated when you first take it in, you can use Gatorade or Lactated Ringers Solution. Place a drop on the bird's beak using your finger so that the bird can suck the liquid in. Signs of dehydration include a dry mouth and reddish skin. Also, the skin on the back of the neck will not spring back immediately when pinched if the bird is dehydrated.^{[29]
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9
Feed the bird every 2-6 hours, depending on its age. If the bird is less than a week old, feed it every 2 hours during the day. If its eyes are open, it only needs to be fed every 5 hours.^{[30]
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Research source} Regardless, you do not need to wake up to feed it at night.^{[31]
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10
Handle the bird as little as possible. To be able to release the bird, you want to make sure the bird does not imprint on you or connect with you. Limit your interactions with the bird, and do not treat it like a pet.
- In fact, it's almost impossible to raise a single baby without having it imprint on you, especially if it is less than 2 weeks old.
11
Allow self-feeding at 4 weeks. At about 4 weeks old, the baby should be able to start learning to feed itself. However, it can take another month or so for that to happen. You should still hand feed during this time period, but leave a small bowl of food in the cage. At this point, you can provide a very shallow bowl of water, too.
- You will notice the baby become less interested in hand-feeding over time.
12
Feed the nestling until it becomes a fledgling. You may have to wait weeks for the bird to develop its wings, becoming a fledgling. The bird cannot survive until it grows wings and starts flying on its own. Only then can you try to release it in the wild.^{[32]
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- If you keep the bird as it grows into adulthood, you will need to move to an adult diet for the bird, which will be different from its previous diet.
- Additionally, once the baby bird is jumping up the side of the box, you can move it to a cage rather than a box.

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Question

Is it OK to hang bird feeders in trees?

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist
Jeff Jones is a Bird Specialist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the writer of BirdOculars, a website dedicated to helping people become better birders. He has over 18 years of experience and specializes in feeding birds and wildlife. Jeff experiments to find ways to encourage birds he wants to study and his website help others to do the same.

Jeff Jones

Bird Specialist

Expert Answer

I would not hang a bird feeder from a tree unless it was a squirrel-proof feeder. There’s just too many predators that can get interested in your yard if you hang feeders where they can easily get to them. If you must hang the bird feeder on a tree, keep it at least six feet from the trunk or the tree limbs.

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What do I feed an abandoned baby bird?

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist
Jeff Jones is a Bird Specialist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the writer of BirdOculars, a website dedicated to helping people become better birders. He has over 18 years of experience and specializes in feeding birds and wildlife. Jeff experiments to find ways to encourage birds he wants to study and his website help others to do the same.

Jeff Jones

Bird Specialist

Expert Answer

I would contact the local wildlife rehabilitator in your area and ask for help. Many young birds are left alone by parents on purpose in between feeding them. Adult birds do this on order to not attract any attention to them.

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Question

Who can I call to take care of a baby bird?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Contact a local Wildlife Rehabilitator or ASPCA officer, who is best equipped to take care of the bird. To find one near you, look online for regional directories such as http://wildliferehabinfo.org/, or phone your local vet clinic, who should have details of organizations in your area who can help.

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Warnings

Make sure you know also what foods the bird can't eat, as some foods are not good for certain types of birds. For instance, most birds can't tolerate milk.

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