Baby Bird Out of the Nest

If you find a baby bird out of the nest, every attempt must be madeto return an uninjured baby to the nest. Or to create a “nest” for thebird off the ground and safe from cats. A small woven basket lined withsoft cloth rigged near the old nest will do. Robins have been know toeven accept a margarine tub duct taped to the tree!

Birds have no sense of smell and parents will continue to feed theiryoung, even though they have been handled by a human. Many bird speciesare very sensitive to intrusion, so please observe from a distance thatthe parents are feeding their young.

Unfeathered infant birds should be placed in a small basket or ringof cloth. Do not try to build a nest with grass or shredded paper!Nests are nature's way of keeping the infant's legs and feet in theproper position - preventing dislocated hips and "sprawl" when the legsare still too weak to hold up the bird. Most birds will back up to theedge of the nest and defecate over the side to keep the nest clean.When housekeeping for infant birds, do not lift them by their backs orwings. Get your hand under their feet and body to lift them.

If you cannot assure the young bird's safety, if the baby isinjured, or if the parent is clearly dead, then the baby should betaken to a wildlife rehabilitation center. 

It is NOT LEGAL to keep a wild bird, and you should considerthese suggestions as TEMPORARY only, until you can get the bird to awildlife rehab center. 

Feeding Baby Birds

If you are willing and able to handle overnight care, here are some tips:

• The most important thing is to keep the baby warm and in aquiet place.  Babies without feathers cannot thermoregulate (controltheir body heat).  Even when they have feathers, they rely on theirparents and siblings to stay warm.  The simplest thing is to place aheating pad under the box or critter carrier on “low” and put layers ofcloth or other interim barrier between the heating pad and the box.  Donot put the bird directly on the heating pad.  You don't want to cookthe bird! The quickest way to warm up a baby is to place it next toyour own skin, under your shirt. Check frequently to see that the birdis not panting or too warm. 101 is the average bird's body temperature.

• Donot feed immediately. All wild creatures are traumatized and stressedby being handled and transported. Wait at least a half hour until thebird is stable and shows signs of being hungry. Feeding before this maycause death, due to the shunting of blood away from the brain and othervital organs to the gastrointestinal tract.

• Feeding a babybird water can be risky, and result in the death of the bird if thewater goes down the airway. Instead, fluids may be provided as smallbits of watermelon or berries or grape halves.  Water in this form alsoprovides a little sugar.

• Foods may be provided in the form of the following combination:

• One cooked egg yolk - Hard boil an egg for AT LEAST 15 minutes (to remove any bacteria that may be in the yolk).
  
• One-half a large jar of baby food green beans;
• One-quarter a large jar of baby food veal;
• Cream the yolk, beans and veal until it resembles a soft pudding.
  
• For most birds - except the very young - add a tablespoon of Tyrell's Red Label Dog Food and mix well. Do not use other brands of dog foods as they contain poultry products.
• Do not feed infant birds: milk, bread, or seeds. Infant birds need a high-protein diet to help them grow quickly.
  
• Make this recipe fresh as often as possible. DO NOT feed cold food to infant birds, but serve lukewarm.
• Use a flat toothpick, coffee stirrer or any other non-sharp object to feed the bird.
• Theirfaces, nostrils and bodies should be kept clean of formula by using asoft bit of cloth. Pull the cloth towards the tip of the beak and awayfrom the eyes.
  
• If the bird feels cool or cold to the touch, warm them gently before feeding.
• Mostbirds can accept chopped up earthworms, dipped in water, as long asthey come from soil which hasn't been treated with herbicides orpesticides.
  
• Feed hatchlings every 30-45 minutes from dawnto dusk (14-16 hours per day). Feed nestlings every hour and fledglingsevery 2 hours during the same time period.
• Only a few dropsof water should be fed to infant birds. Parent birds do not carry waterto their infants; moisture is received through their food.
  

, Basic Manual, Wildlife Rehabilitation, by Dale Carlson, 1997

Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers