Feeding a Baby Bird?

Rebecca Jessiman

May 6, 20100 found this helpful

You need to take the baby bird back outside and put it in the grass. Believe it or not, you are doing more harm then good. When people find baby birds on the ground, they think they have fallen out of the nest and need human help. They don't. Momma birds actually kick out baby birds when they are old enough to learn how to fly. It is a lot safer to learn to fly from the ground then it is from a tree. It sounds horrible to leave them alone, but that is what you should do.

Catherine
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 131 Feedbacks

April 21, 20190 found this helpful

Unfortunately, there is always in a brood, the one born last and fed less, and not strong enough to fight to get enough food and that is why he is not ready to fly at the same time than the others. Once they are gone the mother bird is ready to lay new eggs in the nest. The mother bird will not go down to the ground to feed the fallen one and is never going to pick it up. It is not possible. If it was ready to fly it would not have fallen, and a take off, off the ground opposite to a take off from the nest requires strenght and muscles the bird has not yet developed. You can pick it up and give it a chance otherwise cats or rodents will eat it. The safest food to give it is boiled egg yolk. If it can't pick it up itself put the food on the tip of a match and put it in front of its beak it will naturally open its beak wide.

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Do not touch the beak to open it. At this age the beak is still soft and taking it between two fingers to open it even with what seems to you a very light pressure will damage the future shape of the beak and once grown up the bird can have difficulties to pick up or catch food and eat it. Do not forget to put a little water in the cage. To train it to fly, put it on the palm of your hand and with the other hand put one finger on each side of its head (on its "shouldlers" sort of) and with a little pressure of these fingers stop it from taking off but let it flap its wings as fast as he can. It will help him develop the wing muscles strenght he lacks. With enough food it will be ready very quickly.

 

Steve

May 13, 20100 found this helpful

Try a formula of raw sunflower seeds, egg yolk (hard boiled) and evaporated milk. Put in food processor and make a mash of it.

Mary

May 13, 20100 found this helpful

Feed softened kitten food...I have done this NUMEROUS times with 100% success. Good luck

Sue

May 14, 20100 found this helpful

My sister found a baby robin. She fed it Alpo dog food. She had to scoop it out onto an eye dropper. Maybe you could use a stick. This robin, called Baby, used to fly all over the neighborhood and come back to my sister's back enclosed porch.