Feed the babies bird
What to Feed a Baby Bird
How to provide the right nutrition when wildlife rescues aren't an option
By
Melissa Mayntz
Melissa Mayntz
Melissa Mayntz is a bird expert, certified Master Naturalist, writer, and author with over three decades of experience. She's published in several national magazines, including National Wildlife Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and WildBird Magazine. Melissa has studied hundreds of bird species around the world, traveling to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the central Pacific, the Middle East, and more on birding expeditions.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 08/26/22
Reviewed by
Kathleen Miller
Reviewed by Kathleen Miller
Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Fact checked by
Sarah Scott
Fact checked by Sarah Scott
Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
The Spruce / Catherine Song
Every backyard birder has seen the "starving baby" act by fledgling birds, when they flutter their wings and call piteously for attention from seemingly hard-hearted, indifferent parents. The desire to nurture those fluffy balls of feathers can be strong, but it is important to understand the special needs of a fledgling's diet and know what to feed a baby bird for the best nutrition.
Do I Need to Feed This Baby Bird?
Baby birds have very demanding dietary needs. Depending on their age and species, baby birds may eat off and on for 12 to 14 hours per day, consuming a diet rich in insects for sufficient protein to ensure healthy growth. No human other than a licensed bird rehabilitator has the proper equipment, food supplements, or endurance to keep up that frantic feeding schedule. If you find a baby bird that appears to need feeding, the best thing to do is not to feed it, but to get it to an appropriate bird rescue organization. In many cases, the begging birds are not abandoned and the parent birds are nearby and tending to their babies as needed, even if they aren't seen.
If you find a baby bird that seems to be unfed, watch the bird closely for a while to see if the parents return to feed it within the hour. Bear in mind that it may take just seconds for a parent bird to deliver a bite to its chick, and inattentive observers may miss several feeding cycles.
As the chicks grow, feeding may also be less frequent, and one parent bird may be tending to several offspring in different locations, so parental visits may be uneven. If the baby is being fed, rest assured that the parent bird is able to keep up with its demands, and no intervention is necessary if the baby does not appear injured or ill in any other way.
If the baby bird is not being fed and appears to be growing weaker and more lethargic, the first step should be to find a licensed rehabilitator to provide it proper care. When contacting the rehabilitator, ask for their evaluation of the bird in question before attempting any emergency feeding. If it is recommended that you feed the baby bird, he or she might have specific suggestions in mind as an emergency measure, and those suggestions should be meticulously followed.
If Feeding Is Necessary
If you find a baby bird that needs to be fed but you are unable to contact a bird or wildlife rehabilitator, it is important to know what to feed a baby bird that will provide similar nutrition to its natural diet.
While every wild bird has a different diet, several types of food can serve as emergency rations when necessary. At the same time, it is critical to understand that baby birds have very different nutritional needs than adult birds, and foods you would normally feed to your backyard birds are not appropriate for young fledglings.
Good Foods for Baby Birds
- Moist dog food
- Raw liver (no seasoning)
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Dog biscuits (moistened)
- Dog or cat kibble (moistened)
The Spruce / K. Dave
What Not to Feed Baby Birds
- Water
- Bread or bread products
- Whole birdseed
- Milk
- Pet bird food
- Worms
- Kitchen scraps
The more mature a baby bird is, the more "adult" food it can consume without harm, and the longer it can go between feedings.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Tips for Feeding Baby Wild Birds
If it is necessary for you to feed a baby bird, remember:
- Offer food that is spongy in texture, not dripping with water that could cause choking or drowning.
All dry food should be softened before being offered to a baby bird. - Food should be offered at room temperature only, never warmed or heated, and also never refrigerated or chilled.
- Keep bits of food small and in proportion to the bird's size; very small birds need very tiny bites. Cut or crush food appropriately to suit the bird's size.
- While feeding the bird, handle it as little as possible to minimize the risk of additional stress or injury. Never force the bird's bill open to eat.
Caring for Baby Birds
Remember that feeding a baby bird should be an emergency measure only. If a baby bird is abandoned and needs care, it should be taken to a bird rescue organization or experienced rehabilitator as soon as possible. Rehabilitators can not only feed it an appropriate diet for its species but can help it learn how to find its own food, evade predators, and learn other skills necessary for a successful life in the wild.
If there is no rescue organization or experienced rehab specialist available in your area, keep these tips in mind:
- Identify if the bird is a nestling (few or no feathers) or a fledgling (a feathered bird approaching adulthood).
Nestlings will require much attention for a longer period than fledglings, which may be nearly ready for independence quite soon. An older fledgling can sometimes be fine if you simply place it high on a branch where its parents can find it. Nestlings, on the other hand, may require several weeks of attention (assuming a bird rehab organization is not available) to give them a chance for survival. - Protect it from predators—including family pets. Normally, a simple cardboard box lined with a towel, placed high enough to be out of reach of pets, will suffice. If using a lidded container, make sure it is well-ventilated. Ordinary room temperature is normally fine, though a gentle heat lamp can be used if the room is very cold at night. But take care not to overheat the young bird—in most cases, no heat source is necessary.
- Give it a "nest" by using a small towel or cloth diaper formed into a concave shape and placed in the bottom of the box. This will help support the bird's body until it grows stronger.
- Small nestlings are best fed with moist, well-softened food from a syringe, offered very gently, in small drops. Even a kitchen baster may be too large to be useful. As a nestling grows older, you can offer it food by dangling it from tweezers in front of its beak.
- Never try to feed water directly to a baby bird. Nestlings will get their water needs met through moisture in food. A fledgling can be offered water in a shallow dish—if it's ready to consume water this way, it will drink on its own.
- When a fledgling bird has fully feathered out and is beginning to exercise its wings by flapping, it can be given time outdoors and encouraged to begin flying. Often, it is enough to simply set the bird's containment box outside in a safe location, open the lid and wait for nature to take its course.
But remember that raising a featherless nestling bird through the fledgling stage and into a mature adult bird is no easy matter. It's always better to leave this to professionals who are experienced in the practice.
Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Picking up baby birds can do more harm than good. Oregon State University.
How to Feed a Baby Bird Without Causing Any Harm
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If you come across a hungry baby bird and can’t find their nest, there are three options: feed them, try to put them back in their nest, or let them be. For most of us, the idea of leaving the poor creature to their own devices is unthinkable. Some birds don’t like when humans touch their young, so option two might be just as likely to result in the fledgling’s death.
But if you do choose to save and feed the little bugger, how exactly does one go about feeding a baby bird?
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Should I feed a baby bird in the first place?
OK, we will level with you.
Baby birds that you're raising yourself are one thing. Those birds are pets and we would hope that they came to you legally and are well-cared for. What we're talking about here are wild birds in need who you stumbled upon. The sad fact is, most experts do not recommend that you attempt to feed a baby bird if you know the parents are still around.
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According to Birdwatching Bliss, feeding a baby bird can do more harm than good, though they do recommend leaving the baby some water just in case. In most cases, the best course of action is to contact animal control so that they can come to rescue the bird. You could even take the injured bird to a local veterinarian's office to see if they can help.
Local wildlife rehabilitation centers will also do the trick, such as the Wild Bird Fund in New York City. Whatever you choose and whatever happens after, well, most people will understand that your heart was in the right place.
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What to feed a baby bird
If you do deem that feeding the baby bird in question is necessary, you'll find that when it comes to proper food, it all depends on the age and species of the specific bird.
If you’ve committed to caring for this baby bird, we would advise reaching out to a veterinarian for advice about what your baby specifically needs. That said, there are a few tips regarding food that we can impart.
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According to The Spruce, there are many commercially available formulas out there for hand-feeding baby birds. They recommend choosing one at the start and sticking with that brand and composition until the baby is weaned off it. Baby birds are particularly susceptible to changes in diet, which can be stressful for the baby and their digestion.
Baby birds can eat worms starting at 5 days of age, but those worms should be crushed and fed through an eyedropper at that age. It might sound like a grisly procedure, but it's necessary to keep the birds from being stressed. Once they reach about 5 weeks old, they can start to eat halved worms and will accept whole ones upon reaching adulthood.
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How to feed a baby bird
When it comes to feeding baby birds, freshness is key.
According to VCA Hospitals, food meant for baby birds must be prepared fresh before every feeding. The principles behind this thinking are similar to those used by parents with newborns. Milk and formula that has either sat out too long or been retained from a prior feeding is a hotbed for bacterial growth. The same is true for baby bird food.
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VCA Hospitals recommends heating baby bird food to a temperature of between 102 degrees and 106 degrees Fahrenheit, but no hotter. Cold food won’t really work either, unfortunately. For one, food that is too cold will slow digestion, and baby birds might simply reject it outright. Achieving the perfect amount of heat is also key to keeping harmful yeast and bacteria out of your baby food. If you’re microwaving the food, mix it thoroughly to ensure a consistent temperature throughout.
These directions are for use with conventional baby bird food mixes, which tend to get mixed with water like human baby formula.
Note that younger chicks require a thinner mixture in order to properly digest. It’s difficult to tell the age of a bird, but go thinner if the bird seems tinier and thicken it more as the baby grows.
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It is possible to overfeed a baby bird, but they will generally let you know when they’ve had enough by shutting their bill. Never force a baby bird’s mouth open to give them more. Don’t worry, they’ll let you know when they are hungry.
If your foundling bird has aged up enough to eat something besides formula, make sure that any and all of it is small enough for the bird’s size. Any dry food should be softened and spongy before giving it to the baby. According to Pets on Mom, baby birds can be fed mealworms as a dietary supplement.
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How to feed the found chick, how many times a day
If you find a chick, the first thing you need to do is determine its species.
Feeding granivorous, insectivorous and predatory chicks have their own differences. But in the early stages of feeding, you can use the same feeding methods, and then, after finding out what kind of bird you found, transfer the chick to the appropriate feeding.
Here is one of the most common feeding options for granivorous and insectivorous chicks. This nutrient mixture is well used for feeding for chicks and fledglings from the passerine family. To prepare our mixture, we need the following products: Boiled egg, low-fat cottage cheese, raw carrots, meat (beef, chicken, turkey), greens (lettuce, dandelion leaves, wood lice), hamarus and daphnia, Calcium gluconate (shell from boiled eggs) glycerophosphate , children's dry dairy-free porridge or boiled millet (without salt and fat on the water).
Action one. Boil the egg, free from the shell. We free the shell from the shell film. Grind the egg as much as possible, you can use a grater with small holes.
Second step.
Boiled meat, it is better to take the pulp from the breast of a turkey or chicken and also chop or divide into fibers. The mixture will require meat 40 (for granivorous) and 60 grams (for insectivorous).
Third step. Take washed carrots of a small size, grate them on a fine grater, then squeeze the juice and we will use the remaining pulp.
Fourth step. We take not sour and not fatty cottage cheese. Cottage cheese should have 0% fat content, anything above is considered fat for poultry. We need 90-110 grams of cottage cheese. Sour cottage cheese must be boiled twice changing the water and then it will be suitable.
Step five. You can use greens to add the mixture, but you can do without it for the chicks. And so you can take the greens listed above, chop and add 1.5 teaspoons to the mixture.
Action six. To the above ingredients, add 1.5 -2 tsp. dairy-free porridge or boiled millet (well boiled, without salt and fat in the water).
Step seven. To the mixture we add the shell from the boiled egg, which must first be ground in a coffee grinder, plus one fourth of the crushed tablet of glycerophosphate.
If it is not possible to find glycerophosphate, then you can purchase bone meal and add one fourth tsp. in powder form. At the very least, the shells are enough for now.
Step eight. We take chopped hamarus and daphnia and add about 1 tsp to the resulting mixture. Then we mix everything, it turns out a very thick, crumbly porridge, it should not stick to the fingers. If the mixture is sticky, you can add dairy-free porridge or powdered cereals.
From the resulting mixture we roll small balls no larger than a small pea, focus on the size of the chick's beak. You can feed 2-5 balls at a time and after each feeding drink plain water from an insulin syringe with a removable needle (without a needle) 4-6 drops. A week-old chick should be fed every 1-1.5 hours, older than two weeks of age every 2-4 hours, at three and four weeks of age you can feed 3-4 times a day. Do not forget that the chick is growing and, accordingly, one-time portions of food are growing. A very important point, do not forget to warm the chicks, because at their age they themselves cannot maintain normal body temperature.
Warming up promotes better assimilation of feed. Don't forget to control your chick's weight. If possible, show the chick to a specialist. To control the work of the intestines, you can take the litter from the chick for a coprogram, this is an analysis of the digestibility of the feed.
Take care and love your feathered friends and they will love you back.
Veterinarian ornithologist
Chuguevsky VV
Veterinary clinic Bambi.
You can ask an ornithologist on the forum.
Birds that feed their chicks
Birds are skilled at catching large succulent insects in order to feed their young. This compilation captures caring parents feeding their little chicks. The photos are very touching and beautiful. Just imagine how much this garden warbler in the photo below needs to work to feed 5 hungry mouths :)
And this robin feels better, she has only one chick, the rest apparently fell out of the nest, as often happens. She has already managed to find an excellent delicacy for him in the form of a fat caterpillar
I also advise you to admire the beautiful photos in the selection of the most beautiful birds in the world.
We continue on. Pay attention to what a touching picture - the father and mother of the robin together feed their cubs. Just some kind of family idyll
Feeding constantly hungry chicks is not an easy job, but most birds are monogamous (about 95%), i.e. do not change partners throughout their lives, therefore they often help each other in this important matter
Gray fantail has found a big fly for her chicks. The strongest of them reach for food in the first place, it is they who manage to survive. note how the weak chick was pushed aside. An interesting fact is that the frigate seabird has to feed its chicks the longest, as much as 14 months. This is not the only example of such heroism, for example, penguins incubate their chicks from eggs for 40 days, practically not moving from their place in conditions of terrible cold
Another caring mother who caught an insect similar to a cricket for her chicks
And this bird caught a worm and decided to feed all her cubs with it.
Everyone got a piece of the delicacy
The most beautiful picture of a sunbird feeding offspring on the fly
Already quite an adult chick demands food from its mother :)
And this photo looks like a painting by some famous artist, the feeding process turned out to be very picturesque
And these baby swallows look not only hungry, but also aggressive - perhaps the parents hunted too long ...
A mother flamingo takes special care of her chick, checking to see if food has gotten into her pet's beak. Reminds me of spoon-feeding :)
This heron has almost nursed her offspring, very soon they will go on their first flight
This bird looks like a hummingbird, but in fact it is a hook-billed thymelia and another skillful shot of feeding on the fly. Everything happens in a fraction of a second, and the photographer managed to capture this moment.0027
And here's a funny photo I decided to leave to complete the selection - a warbler feeds a chick, which has long outgrown the size of its parent's nest.
