How to Care for Orphaned Baby Mockingbirds

Orphaned baby mockingbirds have a slim chance of survival without human intervention. If you find an orphaned baby mockingbird, taking it to a bird rehabilitation center is often its best chance at survival. However, bird rehabilitation centers are few and far between, so you may need to care for the baby bird until it is strong enough to be released into the wild. Follow the steps below to care for an orphaned baby mockingbird.

Things You'll Need

  • Postage scale
  • Blanket
  • Shoebox
  • Bowl
  • Kitten chow
  • Eggs
  • Mealworms
  • 1-mL syringe
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pick up the baby mockingbird gently in a cupped hand. Wrap a small blanket around the baby mockingbird to keep it warm.

    • 2

      Create a cage out of a shoebox. Include a small bowl in the shoebox for the baby mockingbird to use as a nest. Birds want to be able to curl up snugly in their nests.

    • 3

      Weigh the baby mockingbird on a postage scale to obtain an accurate weight for it. Use this weight to determine the approximate age of the baby mockingbird. Use a growth chart, such as Growth Charts for Baby North American Songbirds.

    • 4

      Create a mixture of 40 percent kitten chow, 20 percent eggs and 20 percent mealworms to feed the baby mockingbird.

    • 5

      Feed the baby mockingbird food that is equivalent to 10 to 15 percent of its body weight every 45 minutes to 1 hour. Feeding baby mockingbirds is done best with a 1-mL syringe. This can be obtained at a feed store or veterinarian's office.

    • 6

      Provide water to the baby mockingbird once it is walking. Also offer bird seed at this time, though continue to feed the kitten chow, egg and mealworm mixture until the baby mockingbird is able to eat entirely on its own.