Things You'll Need
- Bird cage or cardboard box
- Butter tub or other small container
- Heating pad or hot water bottle
- Dropper or syringe
- Formula for baby birds
Instructions
Check the age of the bird. If the bird is a baby with feathers, it probably ended up on the ground after its first attempt at flight. Leave it alone and allow the mother to help it. If it is a baby with no feathers, it likely fell out of a nearby nest. If you can find the nest, place the bird back in it. The mother will not reject it just because a human has touched it.
Examine the bird for injuries. If the bird was injured during its fall, consider taking it to a local veterinarian who has experience working with birds.
Contact a local rehabilitation center. Because it is illegal to keep wild birds in captivity, it is important to contact a local shelter that can provide proper care and release it back into the wild.
Consider the investment. If there is not a facility that is willing to take the bird in, think about whether you will be able to provide the care it needs. While raising a baby bird can be a very rewarding experience, 90 to 95 percent of baby birds die even when their mother is caring for them. Do not attempt to care for the bird unless you are able to consistently commit to the time and attention a baby bird needs. Be aware that once you begin caring for the bird, it will imprint on you, which means that it will consider you its mother and will no longer be able to survive in the wild. Make sure you are interested in keeping the little guy for life.
Keep it warm. If you decide to keep the bird, its first need will be warmth. Before birds develop feathers, they are defenseless against temperatures that are too cold for them. Put a heating pad on its lowest setting and cover it with a towel to help buffer the heat. Baby birds prefer a temperature of 100 degrees F.
Place the heating pad and towel in the bottom of a box or bird cage. This will be the bird's home for the next several weeks.
Create a temporary nest to help the baby bird feel at home. One easy way to do this is to line an empty butter tub with a small, soft towel, hollowing out the center to resemble a nest.
Feed the bird. Most wild birds respond well to formula designed for domesticated birds. Mix the formula according to the directions indicated on the package and fill a dropper or syringe with the formula. Gently place your hand on its back and tap the top of its beak to signal it to open up. Drop the formula into the back of the bird's throat, being careful not to injure the skin with the tip of the syringe. Do not worry about feeding it too much.
If you are unable to find a suitable formula, you can make it yourself using the following recipe:
Combine these ingredients and serve at room temperature. Freeze or refrigerate the remainder. As the bird grows, add pieces of cut-up earthworms and other small insects to the mixture. This recipe may be fed using tweezers.
Develop a feeding schedule. Very young baby birds need to eat every 20 minutes for about 12 hours of the day. Once the bird develops partial feathers, you may reduce the frequency to once every 45 minutes. When the bird has all its feathers, feed it once every hour. If you see the bird holding its mouth wide open, you should feed it then as well. When it is around four weeks old, you should start placing adult food in its cage, while still continuing to feed it by hand. By around six to eight weeks, the bird should be able to eat on its own.
Care for it as a normal pet bird. Once your baby is weaned, you may care for it much the same as you would care for a normal domestic bird.
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1/4 cup lean ground beef
1 tsp. cottage cheese
1/4 cup canned dog food
1/4 of a hard-boiled egg yolk
1 tsp. sand
1 tsp. dried turtle food