How to Nurse Baby Birds

If you find wild baby birds, you should first try to return them to their mother. Baby birds that have feathers and whose nest you can locate nearby were likely just trying to fly for the first time. However, if you cannot find the nest or they are lacking feathers, you should contact a bird rehabilitation center before treating them yourself. It is illegal to keep migratory birds unless you are licensed. However, until you can find the right facility, knowing how to properly nurse baby birds can help assure they remain healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • Heating pad
  • Shoe box
  • Towel
  • Pencil
  • Seed formula
  • Hardboiled egg
  • Canned beef dog food
  • Watercolor paintbrush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a heating pad into a shoe box. If you have lots of birds, consider using a plastic storage container. Cover the heating pad with a towel and turn it onto the lowest setting. The box should be large enough for the birds to stand up and move around.

    • 2

      Punch 10 holes into the lid of shoe box using a pencil. This will ensure the baby birds get enough air. If you use a plastic storage container, use a drill to make the holes.

    • 3

      Place the birds into the shoe box and place the lid on the box when you are not caring for them. Avoid opening the box when you are not feeding them to help reduce stress.

    • 4

      Feed the baby birds only after you have verified it is alright with a wildlife rehabilitation specialist. During the daylight hours, the birds will want to eat every 10 minutes or so. During the nighttime, they will eat less frequently. Timing will depend on the age of the birds. For birds with a crop, such as a pigeon or a dove, feed the baby birds a seed formula. These can be purchased at your local pet store and is the same formula you would feed a baby parrot. A crop is a pouch that is found by a bird's throat. It expands to store food the bird can save for future digestion. For birds without a crop, hard boil an egg and mash the yolk of the egg up. Add 1/3 c. canned dog food. Make sure the dog food is beef. Mix it together thoroughly and make sure it is in small pieces. Dip the tip of a child's watercolor paintbrush into the food and place that in the back of the bird's mouth, by the esophagus.

    • 5

      Get the baby birds to a rehabilitation specialist as soon as possible.