How to Care for a Baby Bird

The belief that baby birds that are touched by human hands will be rejected by their parents is a myth.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soft Facial Tissues
• Paper Bags
• Extension Ladders
• Paper bags

1. Determine whether a featherless baby bird has fallen out of its nest.

2. Put the bird back in the nest if you can reach it.

3. Carefully place the bird in a box or paper bag lined with soft tissues if you cannot put the bird back into the nest or if you do not know where the nest is.

4. Poke holes into the box lid or bag to admit air.

5. Keep the box or bag in a moderately warm place.

6. Contact a licensed rehabilitator to care for the bird.

7. Contact the local Audubon Society, Humane Society or a local veterinarian for advice if you do not have a wildlife rehabilitation organization in your area.

Tips & Warnings

• Young birds that are partially feathered, are out of their nest and are able to hop should be left alone unless obviously injured. Parent birds will be nearby to feed and watch over them.
• Never offer food or water to a baby bird without professional advice.
• It is against federal law to keep a wild bird in your possession without a license.

[ecm1980]

on 6/4/2009 Great tips. We once found 2 baby birds and cared for them. We fed them with a medicine dropper and they grew big and strong. Once they were ready we sent them back into the world.

[wildliferehab]

on 7/8/2008 Try going to www.wildliferehabber.org or www.wildliferehabber.com and searching for someone in your are to take the bird.

[shaila]

on 7/28/2007 FEEDING- you can purchase milworms for cheap at pet stores. i found that cut and squished up milworms with a little bit of water is the best food to feed the birds. A lot of them really can't digest cat/dog food and will stop eating them.
nest- add natural leaves and stuff from near where you found the bird. use a good size cardboard box and put branches through it at different levels. This helps baby birds to learn to hop and gain enough strenght and practise to fly one day. if the bird has no or little feather, a regular reading lamp with the adjustable body is a great alternative to heat lamp.

[risham21]

on 5/9/2007 i just found a lil baby bird??? can someone help me as i think bbay is hungry and also i dont know wht to feed as i dont have any animals in the house.... what about seeds like dried pumpkin seeds or if any other normal thing which we usally keep in the kichen ,,,,, its mum is around n i am keepin an eye as well, but as its is wendy n cold i dont want the bird to be left alone.. i am plannin to bring the baby bird in my room

on 5/10/2007 If you happen to find a baby bird on the ground that is not injured, leave it there. If it is truly orphaned, try to find a nest with the same species in it. The new parents won't care, even if the young bird in near flying and the ones born in that nest are just hatchlings.