How to Feed Baby Hummingbirds

Baby hummingbirds go through three stages before becoming an adult. Newborns have no hair and are black. Nestlings are 10 to 15 days old, with little hair on their head and body. Prefledgings are 16 to 21 days old and have all their hair, but their beaks are not yet a half-inch long. You need plenty of time and a lot of patience to feed a baby hummingbird as often as needed.

Things You'll Need

• Teaspoon
• Granulated sugar
• Water
• Eyedropper
• Mealworms
• Mockingbird food
• Nutri-Vet for birds
• Tablespoon
• Esbilac milk

Instructions

1. Determine whether the baby hummingbird was abandoned or was pushed out of its nest. It is best to try to return the baby to its nest before trying to feed it. If the bird was abandoned, you can attempt to feed it or take it to a wildlife rehabilitation center.

2. Prepare a mixture for the baby hummingbird to eat. The first day, mix a teaspoon of sugar and four teaspoons of water. Get an eyedropper, and suck the mixture into it.

3. Feed the bird three to five drops of the sugar-and-water mix every 30 minutes. After the first day, create a new mixture. Avoid giving the baby hummingbird only sugar and water for more than one day. This could harm the bird.

4. Prepare a more nutritional food for the baby hummingbird. Use one teaspoon of sugar and four teaspoons of water, but add 20 squeezed mealworms, one teaspoon of mockingbird food and a quarter teaspoon of Nutri-Vet into the mix. These products can be bought in a local pet store or bird shop. Add a tablespoon of esbilac milk to complete the mixture. Stir the mix and make sure it is blended well enough for the baby hummingbird to receive through an eyedropper.

5. Feed the baby hummingbird three to five drops of the nutritional mixture at least every 30 minutes. If the hummingbird squawks for more food, give it another three drops. A mother hummingbird can feed a baby four to five times an hour.

Tips & Warnings

• If you feel you are unable to feed the baby hummingbird properly, take it to a wildlife rescue center.

• Do not feed the baby more than the four or five times an hour that a mother hummingbird would.

References

• feeding a hummingbird baby

Resources

• nutri vet for birds