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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.
This article has been viewed 88,461 times.
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.
Steps
Assess situation
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- Pick up the chicks and warm them in the palm of your hand before placing them back in the nest. Move away but try to observe the bird’s nest from a distance. The parents may be suspicious of the new nest at first, but their maternal instincts will make them forget this.
- If the original nest is completely destroyed, you can make a new one by lining a basket with paper towels. Even if the original bird’s nest is made of hay, you should not put grass in the homemade nest, because the grass is slightly damp and will make the chicks cold.
- The best thing to do in this situation is to call a shelter to have it adopted. These centers have experience taking care of baby birds, so it will have the best chance of survival.
- If you can’t find a shelter, call your veterinarian or ranger to provide the necessary information. In some cases, there may not be a bird or wildlife center where you live, but there may be an animal shelter.
- If none of these options work or you cannot transport the birds to the center, you will have to take care of the chicks yourself. Remember this is only a last resort, as caring for and feeding young birds takes a lot of work and their chances of survival are low.
- Also, it’s against the law in principle to keep wild birds in captivity, unless you have a valid permit. [3] X Research Sources
Feed the baby birds
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
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.
This article has been viewed 88,461 times.
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.
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