Teaching a Baby Bird to Feed Itself

It can be difficult to hand-rear baby birds who are unable to feed themselves. Nestlings can require feeding as often as every 30 minutes throughout the day. It is recommended to use an eye-dropper using moist food of a soft consistency. The bird may initially refuse to open its beak, but the jaws can be gently parted by slipping a fingernail between them. Once the bird becomes familiar with the process, it will open his mouth and squawk when it is hungry. The keeper should also attempt to identify the species of the bird to ensure it receives the correct diet, such as seeds or insects. Once the bird is old enough, it can be taught to feed himself.

Things You'll Need

  • Eye dropper
  • Seeds
  • Insects
  • Soft fruit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a piece of soft fruit in front of the bird, and gently push the beak into it. Insect-eaters can be given mealworms. Try this around meal times along with using the eye dropper.

    • 2

      Observe the bird. It should eat bits of the fruit that get stuck to his beak. If it shows no interest, try again in a few days, because self-feeding happens when the bird reaches a certain maturity. Birds usually learn instinctively to pick up crawling insects when they are ready to feed themselves.

    • 3

      Once the bird has learned to eat solid foods, it will need to start drinking water. (In the early days, the bird can get all the moisture it needs from the feeding solution in the eyedropper.) Teach the bird to drink by dropping a small amount of water onto its beak, or into its mouth. Alternatively, gently dip the edge of the beak into water before releasing it immediately. Do this often until the bird catches on.