How to Care for a Baby Humming Bird

Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world. Their wings beat 78 times per second, and they need to eat often or they will die; even four hours without food will kill them. If you find a baby hummingbird, the best thing you can do initially is nothing. Sometimes hummingbird nestlings fall out of the nest, and when this happens the mother will often quickly come and rescue them. However, there are times when the nestlings have been abandoned; in these cases there are certain steps you will need to take to ensure a nestling's safety.

Things You'll Need

  • Empty margarine tub
  • Tissue paper
  • Gooseneck lamp
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check to see that the mother is not around where you found the baby hummingbird. Sometimes hummer nestlings fall over the edge of their nests.

    • 2

      Put the bird back in its nest if you can find it, especially if the baby hummingbird is very young and not fully feathered, or not more than 9 days old. Check to see if the mother returns, but if she doesn't within half an hour contact your local wildlife rescue organization. If you cannot find the nest, an alternative is to line a plastic margarine tub with tissue paper to keep the nestling warm. Place the tub under a lamp, approximately five inches away from the bulb. The nestling must be kept warm to stay alive.

    • 3

      Put a well-feathered nestling that can perch back in the nest if you can find it; this nestling will be between 10 and 25 days old. If you can't find the nest, place it carefully on an interior branch of some shrubbery. It will be safe there, and its mother can feed it if she returns. Stick around for about half an hour to see if she does, and if she doesn't, call the wildlife rescue organization in your area. While waiting for them, put the nestling in a margarine tub according to the instructions in Step 2.

    • 4

      Keep cats and children away from the nestling while you wait for the mother to return or until the nestling flies away. If it is a fledgling that has been learning to fly, it may have fallen out of the nest and so may fly away in a few minutes.