What do i feed a wild baby bird?

Question

I was doing yard work today and i saw a baby bird (with some feathers and some fur looking stuff), no nest near by... so i made up a shoe box for it, but now my question is

WHAT DO I FEED IT? AND HOW?

...all the sites i have looked at don't tell me exactly what i need to know, all i want is a simple answer( if there is one), of what foods, where to get it at, and how to feed it to the baby bird.

HURRY!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Taking the baby seemed like the right thing to do, but it's generally better for us not to ever interfere with wild animals.  As for feeding, birds are a very difficult animal to feed if you have no training.  Their trachea and esophagus are very close and often people will give food into the lungs, killing the baby.

Call your local wildlife rescue and have them take it.

They can probably provide you with instructions for it's care until you can take it in.

Answer 2

boiled egg feed evry 15-30min

Answer 3

If the bird is fully feathered, it is most likely a fledgling and has left the nest on it's own and it's parents are caring for it. It is normal for birds to leave the nest before they can fly. You need to replace it where you found it..preferably in a scrub or tree so it is relatively safe from predators, and the parents should come back to feed it. If it is unfeathered...then look for a nest and if you can find it...replace it into the nest. Do not worry about your scent being on the chick..birds have a very poorly developed sense of smell and will NOT reject a baby that has been touched. If you cannot find a nest, get the bird to a local wildlife rehab for it's best chance of survival. Also, keep in mind, it is illegal for you to try and raise this bird on your own. Look for a rehab here:

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactA...

Answer 4

they sell that kitten formula at walmart, that works really well, put in a turkey baster or syringe. contact your local wildlife refuge.

Answer 5

what kinda bird is it...different species of birds feed their babies different things

Answer 6

If it's not injured, you should put it back where you found it. It's mother will take care of it (the scent of humans will NOT make the mother reject the baby). I found a fledgling bird in my yard a few weeks ago and after observing it from a distance, realized that it's mother was still caring for it and later googled it and found that this is a normal situation for a bird learning to fly.

If you feel you must care for it, this site has the info you need

http://aztec.asu.edu/forthebirds/unfeth....

More info:

From http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/guideto....

FLEDGLINGS People often see baby birds that are partially feathered sitting on the ground below a tree and automatically assume that they fell out of the nest and need to be helped. At this stage in a birds development, they are considered "fledglings". Fledglings NORMALLY will jump or fall out of the nest. This is their "flight training" stage. The mother bird will then continue feeding the bird on the ground until the bird is able to fly (usually only takes a few days). Unless injured, these birds should be left where they are. Efforts should be made to keep cats, dogs, and curious children away from the bird so the mother can continue to feed it.

From http://nature.gardenweb.com/forums/bird/...

Immediate Care Information:

If you have already rescued a baby bird or injured bird, here’s some information you need to know –NOW. When you’ve cared for the bird’s immediate needs you be may want to continue reading this page at a more leisurely pace.

Do NOT try to force food, milk (they cannot tolerate it) or force water into the bird’s beak, thinking that it will revive or strengthen a bird. You may cause more harm and possibly drown the bird because there is a direct route to the lungs at the back of its tongue. Some baby birds like Doves, Pigeons, Quail and Killdeer do not open their mouths wide to eat – they stick their beaks into the parent’s beak and suck the regurgitated food, so there are different instructions for different birds. See http://aztec.asu.edu/forthebirds/unfeth....

Provide Warmth: If returning the bird to the nest is NOT possible, it is imperative that you provide warmth for the baby bird. Young birds are vulnerable to chill and pneumonia. When you hold the baby bird in your hand, it should feel warmer than your hand. Warmth can be provided with a hot water bottle or heating pad turned on to low. Snuggle the bird in facial tissue directly against the source of warmth, but be sure it is not too hot!!!. If you’ve rescued an injured bird, place it in a well-ventilated box, over a heating pad on low (or hot water bottle) in a dark, quiet place, away from household pets and noise. Sometimes, just allowing a few hours rest and recuperation is all that is required.

Housing: Make an artificial nest from a plastic berry box and use facial tissue for nest material. Do not use cloth, shredded paper, cotton or grass as these may result in injury. The legs of the baby are not strong enough to support it, so rest the baby bird in a semi-upright position so that the edges provide support for the body and head. Do not let the bird sprawl on the bottom of the nest. (If you know the location the bird was found, it is best to place it back in the same area so the parents will find it—they’ve been searching! Contrary to popular belief, parents will not reject the baby because you’ve touched it. You can use string or rope to secure the berry box to the limb of a tree or deep bush (a hidden location). Use only enough rope necessary, do not leave any extra string dangling. Watch the nest constantly for at least two hours from as far away as possible to allow the parents to safely reconnect with the baby. The parents will show up for just a few seconds, feed it and take off until the next feeding. If you do not see this happening, continue to care for the bird until you find help.

Contact your nearest Wildlife Rehabilitator When you find your local Rehabilitator from the link below, we suggest you make a hard-copy to keep for future emergencies.

Wildlife Rehabilitators List (Worldwide)

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact....

Good luck and I hope it works out for the both of you.

Answer 7

We mashed up dog food (Nutro natural choice from petco) and soaked it in water till it got really mushy, and than fed it to the baby bird through a straw that we cut so it was like a little spoon.

But we had to get up and feed it in the middle of the night too, because baby birds eat frequently.

But it would be best to give the baby bird to an animal rescue. That's what we ended up doing.

Oh, and make sure you put the bird under a light so it keeps warm.

Good Luck.

Contact me with anymore questions and I'll be glad to help you out.