How Can You Feed a Newborn Baby Bird?

In general, a mother bird will feed her baby bird successfully and there should be no reason for you to intervene. However, if the baby bird is abandoned or you are breeding birds, you may have to hand feed the baby birds yourself. Since hand feeding can be time consuming and tricky, it is important to know the right way to successfully feed a baby bird to ensure safe and proper nutrition.

Things You'll Need

  • Baby parrot formula
  • Hardboiled egg yolk
  • 1/3 cup canned beef dog food
  • Oral baby syringe
  • Child's water color paintbrush
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare an appropriate baby bird formula. The best option is to purchase a formula from your local pet store or veterinarian's office. Baby parrot formula is usually sufficient; follow the instructions that accompanies the formula. However, you can make your own by mashing up the hard boiled yolk of an egg and mixing in 1/3 cup of canned beef dog food. But, this homemade formula can only be given to a bird that does not have a crop. A crop is the sack located near the bird's throat that the bird can store excessive food in until a later time. Examples of a bird with a crop include pigeons, owls and seagulls.

    • 2

      Use an oral syringe to apply liquid formula to the bird's mouth. If you are using the homemade formula, dip the tip of a child's water color paint brush into the food to gather a bit of food. With the bird's mouth open, place the food at the very back of the bird's throat, near its esophagus.

    • 3

      Repeat feedings every 14 to 20 minutes during the daytime hours. For the most part, feedings can be skipped at night, depending on the type of bird and its age.