How to make food for baby birds

This Is What To Feed Baby Birds — And How To Feed Them

If you’re wondering how to feed a baby bird, there are a few important things you need to know. Baby birds usually eat what their parents eat for dinner, since the parent has to burp its food into the mouth of its offspring. Birds cannot break down food at birth, so their parents must first partially digest the food to make it safe for chicks. Since baby birds are dependent on their parents not only for food but also for instructions on how to be a bird, it is essential that it stays with them. So, if you find a baby bird on the ground, try to bring it back to the nest rather than looking after it yourself. If you cannot return the bird to its nest, contact a rehabilitation center that can take care of it.

Contents

Consult the experts if you think a baby bird isn’t being fed
What to feed a baby bird
What not to offer when feeding baby birds:
DIY baby bird food
How to feed a baby bird

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

15 minutes

What You Need

Dog or cat food, boiled eggs, or raw unseasoned liver
Small pieces of fruit or veggies

If you’re raising domestic birds or are licensed to take care of wild animals, however, then it’s important to know how and what to feed baby birds — and sometimes, even learn how to DIY baby bird food.

Maslov Dmitry/Shutterstock.com

Consult the experts if you think a baby bird isn’t being fed

If you find a baby bird that does not seem to be fed, look for an hour or two to see if its parents provide food for it again. Note that the mother bird only needs a few seconds to feed its baby, so inattentive observers could miss several feeding cycles. However, if one parent bird has to look after several baby birds in different places, parental visits could be irregular. When the baby bird is fed, you can be sure that its parents have provided its needs, and there is no unnecessary intervention if the baby bird does not appear injured or sick.

Step 1: If the baby bird does not appear to be fed and becomes increasingly weak and lazy, the first step should be to find a licensed rehabilitator to provide, or guide you through, the appropriate care.

Step 2: If you have found a baby bird that needs to be fed but does not have contact with its parents or an animal rehabilitator, it is essential to know what a baby bird needs a portion of food similar to its natural diet. While each wild bird has its own diet, different types of food can serve as an emergency ration if necessary.

What to feed a baby bird

In nature, baby birds eat the same things that their parents eat: Worms, insects, and seeds. However, chicks can eat different types of food if they are taken care of by whoever found them. You could use puppy food soaked in water until it’s like a sponge. Moist dog or cat food can also be used in a jam when at room temperature. You can also use finely chopped fruits and vegetables (such as corn or peas) and even small insects.

It is equally essential to recognize that baby birds have very different nutritional needs than adult birds. What an adult bird eats can harm its young. As a baby bird grows, its diet can be adapted to more raw meat, giving them the protein that’s needed. As for water, a baby bird gets what it needs from the food it eats.

Food suitable for baby birds:

Boiled eggs
Moist dog food
Wet cat food
Raw liver (without seasoning)

What not to offer when feeding baby birds:

Water
Milk
Bread and bakery products
Kitchen waste

Unlike mammals, birds do not drink milk and their digestive systems won’t tolerate milk. Unfortunately, it’s a common misconception that mixing together bread and milk makes for an ideal feed for baby birds. Milk can be toxic to birds, so avoid feeding it entirely.

When a baby bird is older, it can consume ”adult” bird foods without harming itself and the longer it can stay between strokes.

Cathy Hargreaves/Shutterstock.com

DIY baby bird food

One easy recipe for feeding baby birds involves just two ingredients: pet food and water.

Soaking dog biscuits or kibble in water will create a mushy consistency that’s easy to take and digest for young birds. This mimics the texture of the food given by mama birds in the wild and is also a high-protein option, which is extra important for nestlings.
A classic biscuit treat like Milk-Bone is ideal for recipes like these. To forgo the mixing and mashing, a canned pet food like the Cesar brand is another great option. You still might want to stir in a tiny bit of water if your bird is particularly young, though.

How to feed a baby bird

Step 1: If you need to feed a wild baby bird, remember to offer foods that have a spongy consistency instead of dripping with water, which can suffocate or drown it. All dry food should be softened before offering it.

Step 2: Food should only be offered at room temperature, never heated or refrigerated.

Step 3: Keep food pieces small and proportional to the size of the bird — tiny birds need tiny bites. Cut or crush food properly to fit the size of the bird.

Step 4: When feeding the bird, be as careful as possible to minimize the risk of additional stress or injury. Never force a bird to eat its food.

Lastly, remember that feeding a baby bird should be only an emergency measure. If one is abandoned and needs care, it should be taken by a bird-rescue organization or an experienced rehabilitator as soon as possible. They can not only feed baby birds with a diet suitable for its type, but they also teach it to live independently, avoid predators, and master other skills to live in nature successfully.

Editors' Recommendations

How to make a parrot’s perch with a natural branch (it’s easy!)
Bird training classes are a thing – Here’s how to get your pet circus ready
This is how to remove bird poop stains from clothes (tips that really work)
Why do birds bob their heads? The answer is pretty complex
Wondering how to take care of a hamster? Here are 8 pet hamster care tips that all beginners need to follow

What to Feed a Baby Bird

How to provide the right nutrition when wildlife rescues aren't an option

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 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.

How to Make Chick Food for Chicks: 11 Steps (with Pictures)

The sight of a hungry chick can certainly hurt your feelings. Ideally, feeding a wildlife chick should be left to the discretion of its parents or wildlife rehabilitation center professionals. However, you may need to feed the chick if its parents don't come back to feed it in a few hours and you can't get it to a rehab right away.

Steps

Part one of 3: Preparing emergency food for chicks

one Find out what foods you can feed your chick. Due to the sheer number of bird species, it can be difficult for the average person to know the nutritional requirements of chicks depending on their species. Fortunately, some foods can usually be used as chick food. For example, chicks can be fed moistened dry cat or dog food.
- Puppy food is particularly rich in protein, an important nutrient for chicks.
- If you do not have dry cat or dog food, you can also use wet cat or dog food.
- Insects and mealworms can also be used as emergency food for baby birds. Both are excellent sources of protein.
- Prepared emergency chick food is also available from your local pet store. It is relatively small and high in calories. It can be added to dry dog or cat food as a supplement.
- Seed mixture is suitable food for chicks, but only pigeons, doves and parrots - these bird species do not eat insects.
2 Find out what not to feed your chick. Milk should not be included in your prepared chick food. Birds do not breastfeed, so milk is not part of their natural diet. Bread is another food that should not be given to a chick as it has no nutritional value and can cause internal blockage.
- Pet food is also not recommended. Pet food may not meet the nutritional needs of wild birds.
- Chicks get water from their food, so there is no need to give them water separately.
3 Buy mealworms and/or crickets. You can find mealworms at a pet or bait store. Crush the mealworms' heads before feeding them to the chick.
- Visit your local pet store to buy live crickets.
- Seal the chicks in a bag and freeze them for 10 minutes before feeding them. After 10 minutes, the crickets will be dead, but will still look and feel like the real thing and won't be too frozen.
- Crickets are a good source of water for chicks.
4 Prepare dry dog or cat food. Chicks should be fed very small meals to avoid choking. Dog or cat food is too large to feed a whole chick, so you'll need to prepare extra. One option is to grind the piece in a blender or food processor to break it into very small pieces. Then moisten it with warm water until it has the consistency of yogurt or until it becomes spongy.
- Another option is to wet a piece first and then manually break each piece in half. This method can be tedious, so you may want to grind the dry piece.
- Mix one part of the product with two parts of water to obtain the desired moist consistency. It can take up to an hour before the pieces become the right consistency.
- Dry food that is too wet can drown or suffocate the chick, so it is very important to moisten the food properly.
Advertising

Part 2 of 3: Feeding the Chicks in an Emergency

one Keep the chick warm. The chick needs to warm up before eating. To keep the chick warm, fill a jar with warm water and place a nest of tissue paper over the jar. Place the chick in the nest and let it warm up.
- Given the small size of the chick, it may only take a few minutes before the bird is warm and ready to eat.
- If the chick has few or no feathers, use a small plastic container (such as an empty margarine bowl) as a nest. Fill a container with paper towels or toilet paper. You can also put it in a jar of warm water to help keep the baby warm.
2 Encourage the chick to yawn. The chick can yawn (open its beak) on its own when it becomes warm. If not, he may need your support. Gently whistling or lightly stroking his chest are good ways to get him to yawn.
- You may need to gently lift the chick's beak with your thumb.
- Be aware that you can injure the chick while handling it, so be very careful if you push its chest or open its beak.
3 Feed the chick. Use something very small to feed your chick: tweezers, cocktail sticks, plastic coffee stirrers and baby medicine syringes are all suitable feeding supplies. After placing a small amount of food on the feeder, direct it to correct side (left) of his throat.
- The trachea is located on the left side of the chick's throat. As with humans, food should not enter the windpipe.
- Hold the dish up high so that the chick can easily take food from the dish.
- Make sure food is at room temperature.
- You may need to cut crickets or mealworms into smaller pieces before feeding them to the chick.
- Feed the chick until its harvest is full.
4 Feed your chick on a schedule. This is probably the most difficult aspect of feeding a chick. In the wild, the chick is fed every 10-20 minutes during the daytime for 12-14 hours a day. Following such a feeding schedule is not very practical for the average person.
- Contact the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to get your chick into the care of the center as soon as possible.
- Chick emergency food should only be fed as much as is needed to coordinate care transfer.
- Throw away leftover soaked food after 12 hours. After this time, the food will begin to spoil.
Advertisement

Part 3 of 3: What to do if you find a chick

one Determine if the chick is a chick or a chick. A chick is a chick with partially or fully feathered plumage. Most likely, the chick has outgrown its nest and walks on the ground or on low branches before it can fly. The parents still need to feed, but he is not completely helpless.
- You must leave the chick where the parents can find it and feed it. It should only be moved if it is injured and needs to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center.
- The chick has neither feathers nor feather primordia. If you see a chick leaving the nest, return it to the nest. If the nest fell from the tree, return the nest to the tree and then place the chick in it.
- If you can't find a chick's nest, make one by placing crushed paper towels in the bottom of a container of margarine. Use a nail or wire to attach the tub to a tree near where you found the bird, then place it in it.
2 Determine if the chick needs skilled care. If the chick's parents do not return within one to two hours, or if you know the mother is dead, the chick will need to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center. He will also need qualified help if he is injured or looks ill.
- Don't delay calling a wildlife rehabilitation center. The sooner you can transport the chick, the more likely it is to recover.
- If someone from the wildlife center comes to pick up the chick, keep it warm in the meantime by placing it in a cloth nest opposite a jar of warm water.
3 Don't think that you have to feed the chick. Although you mean good, you can do more harm than good if you feed a wild bird. In fact, many wildlife centers recommend that you not try feeding a wild bird. It's best to either leave him alone or take him to a wildlife rehabilitation center as soon as possible.
- It is likely that the chick's parents are nearby and will return to him in a few hours to feed him.
- If you mistakenly take a chick out of the wild to feed it, you may deprive it of much-needed parental care.
Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search Add New Question

Q: What can I give my baby bird to eat? Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and the practice of pets. At 19She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at a veterinary clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinary Expert Response If possible, if the bird is indeed abandoned, take it to a wildlife rehabilitation specialist. If this is not possible and the bird is hungry, offer small pieces of wet dog food or a grated hard-boiled egg.
Question What to feed finches chicks? Wet dog food. Find out how much protein they need and head to the store. Buy some wet dog food, take a syringe (free from the drugstore) and put some in your mouth.
Question How can I tell if my baby bird has a cold? Amy Harrison Lead Responder If a bird pouts, shivers, and sits quietly in a corner, it is most likely cold. In this case, you can give the bird a heating pad.
Question: Can I feed my Blue Tit baby fresh chopped worms? It is possible, but you should not keep the blue tit. Call a wildlife rehabilitation specialist to find out what to do about it.
Question: How long should sparrows be fed? Lily Chief Responder Feed him until he's plump and healthy and hopefully his wings will work. If you're very lucky, he'll lean back and spread out.
Question: Can I feed my magpie baby oats? Amy Harrison Top Answerer You can try, but magpies generally don't like that kind of thing. Instead, feed your magpie wet dog/cat food or small pieces of bread dipped in water.
Question: Should I feed the chicks if I don't think the mother is coming back to feed them? Give the mother time to react to the baby, and if the mother does not feed within 2-3 days, leave a few mealworms on the side of the nest.
Question: My parrot didn't feed the chicks, two of them died. There's only one chick left, but I'm afraid she won't feed him. What should I do? If the mother continues to ignore this and does not look like she is going to feed him, take him out and keep him in a warm box and start feeding him right away.
Question Can I safely feed my baby sparrows fish food? I don't know if it's completely safe, but the high protein soft fish flake paste worked for my blind sparrow chick. After 7 days, it becomes vigorous, loud, energetic, fluffy and grows rapidly.
Q: What should I do if I can't feed my chick because I don't have enough time in the morning? You must find the time. To keep your chick healthy and strong, he needs to be fed regularly. If you (and other members of your family) cannot take care of this, contact a wildlife rescue organization, bird sanctuary, etc. in your area and ask for help.