What Do Baby Birds Eat (Dietary Needs & Feeding Tips)

What to Do If You Find an Injured Baby Bird On the Ground?

It doesn't matter whether you own a bird or not, but if you find an injured baby bird on the ground and want to save it, How'll you do that? Don't rush if you see a baby bird on the ground; not all grounded birds are hurt. Now, what will you do?

Consider two points

• Is there any sign of any physical injury?
• How mature does the bird appear to be?

If you see any of the following signs in the baby bird, it's likely to be injured and needs your help.

• The bird belly is sucked in.
• The bird is wet, even if it's not raining there.
• Blood on the bird.
• If the bird can't stand or walk.

If any of the symptoms mentioned earlier appear in the baby bird, don't delay and contact a veterinarian or a wildlife rehabilitator because the baby bird can't fly and can be an easy target for predators like cats. Also, if the baby bird keeps lying on the ground, it will die of dehydration or starvation.

What do Baby Birds Eat?

If you see that there is no other way and the baby bird can be rescued and needs to be fed immediately, you should know what to feed a baby bird. Many birds have different diets, but some foods can be served as emergency supplies when necessary. In addition, one should know that the nutritional needs of a baby bird are different from that of an adult bird.

You can get baby bird food from any pet store. If, in any case, you aren't able to get the birds food, you can use the following things as a substitute,

• Hard-boiled eggs.
• Raw kidney or liver (without seasoning).
• High protein dog biscuits.
• High protein cat or dog kibble.
• High protein moist dog food.

What Should a Baby Bird Not Be Feed?

As already stated, a baby bird cannot break food by birth, so you shouldn't feed the baby bird anything among the following:

• Worms.
• Milk.
• Bread or bread products.
• Water.
• Kitchen scraps.
• Pet bird food.
• Whole birdseed.

Feeding your baby bird with adult food can harm them. Similarly, birds don't drink milk like mammals, so even if you feed the baby bird by mixing bread and milk, it would be toxic to them.

But when the baby birds grow, their protein needs also change, so they should be fed more raw meat to fulfill their protein needs.

How to Feed a Baby Bird?

If there is no bird rescue organization near you, you have to save the baby bird. You can save the bird by feeding, but have you ever fed any baby bird before? Well, if not, then you should be aware of the right method of feeding the baby bird.

Don't unnecessarily handle the baby bird; just put the baby bird in a container or a box lined with any soft material like tissue, paper towel, etc. Also, don't force the bird to open its mouth for food, as a hungry baby bird will open its mouth on its own – known as gapping. Also, avoid using tweezers to feed the baby bird as they are hard and pointed and can cause injury to the bird's throat or mouth and break the baby bird's beak.

Here is a list of things you should care about while feeding a baby bird;

• You can feed the baby bird soft and spongy food that has been soaked in water but make sure that the food is not overly wet (not dripping with water- causes choking or drowning). Offer the baby bird spongy food. Don't worry; you can soften any food before feeding the baby bird.
• As tiny baby birds need tiny bites, mash the baby bird food into small pieces or mash it to form a paste. The food pieces should be small to fit the size of the bird.
• Offer the food to the baby bird at room temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.
• Like professional bird rehabbers, you can use a tube to feed baby birds. So if you have any food droppers, then it would be great. Otherwise, cut a small corner from a baggie, put the food in it, and squeeze it into the baby bird's mouth.
• Be careful while feeding to minimize the risk of any injury. Like, don't forcefully make the bird eat food. Make the food moistened so the baby bird can easily swallow and digest it.
• Don't force a bird to eat if it is not opening its mouth, then gently tap on the box or jar in which the baby bird is sitting. If it still doesn't open its mouth, it may not be hungry.
• The last and the most important thing is not to feed the baby bird if there isn't an emergency. If the baby bird is abandoned and requires care, take it to the bird rescue organization as soon as possible. As they are professional and experienced persons, they can better look after the baby bird, which increases the chance of the baby bird's survival.

FAQs

1. How to tell if a baby bird is Orphaned?

Whenever you find a baby bird on the ground, don't rush it; sometimes, the bird may not need your help. A baby bird can either be a fledgling or a nestling, determined by its age factor. Most birds are fledglings who have left their nest, yet they can't fly and are in the eye of their parents.

2. What do baby birds eat?

You can get baby bird food from any pet store. If, in any case, you aren't able to get the birds food, you can use the following things as a substitute,

• Hard-boiled eggs.
• Raw kidney or liver (without seasoning).
• High protein dog biscuits.
• High protein cat or dog kibble.
• High protein moist dog food.

3. What things should you not feed a baby bird?

The diet of a baby bird differs from the adults, and you should not give a baby bird any of the following things to eat;

• Worms.
• Milk.
• Bread or bread products.
• Water.
• Kitchen scraps.
• Pet bird food.
• Whole birdseed.