How to Feed Baby Starling Birds

Baby starlings are a common sight in suburbs and cities. If you happen upon a wild baby starling who you believe needs help, remember that fully feathered birds are fledglings and are ready to leave the nest. Leave these birds alone. They need two to three days to learn how to fly. Birds without feathers can be returned to the nest. The only baby starling you should attempt to feed is one that is injured, and who cannot therefore fly and feed itself.

Things You'll Need

  • Popsicle stick or a similar instrument
  • Avian vitamins
  • Calcium tablet
  • Pet food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Add water to pet food and mash it up to make it easier for the baby starling to digest. You can mash in such other items as hard boiled eggs, applesauce and baby food, if you wish to vary the taste.

    • 2

      Mix a spoonful of avian vitamins--available from a pet store--and a ground-up calcium tablet into your bird feed. This will ensure that the baby starling's nutritional requirements are met.

    • 3

      Feed the baby starling with a long, blunt instrument, such as a Popsicle stick, chopstick or a straw with its end cut. As the bird grows older, the handle of a spoon serves as a good feeding device. Do not use such sharp items as Q-Tips.

    • 4

      Feed the baby starling every 20 to 30 minutes and continue to feed it until the bird stops "begging" for food. A baby starling requires continuous feeding for about 12 hours a day. The typical "begging" action involves the baby starling opening its beak as wide as it can and tilting its head backward. When the baby starling grows older, it need only be fed every hour.