Raising A Baby Bird

If you have found a fledgling (a bird with feathers) you are on the wrong page.

Please proceed to the 'Species Info.' page for dietary recommendations by species.

This page lists recipes you can use to raise nestlings to maturity. Please read the following section first, to familiarize yourself with the best bird feeding practices.

It is easiest to use a plastic syringe to feed nestlings. These are readily available at local pharmacies. When you have filled it, let it sit 15 minutes on the heating pad to keep it warm and for it to absorb any excess water in the mix. If you do not have one, you can use a Bic brand pen cap (use that part that is supposed to go in your shirt pocket) or the tip of your finger (gently!).

A contributor suggests using a good quality paintbrush made from some sort of natural hair as a good feeding utensil for small softbills and doves/pigeons. It must of course be a new paintbrush that has never been used before, and that has been given a good washing in diluted mild detergent (such as Dove brand dish soap), followed by a very good rinsing with tap water. Make sure that no loose hairs come out of the brush if pulled, so that the bird doesn't choke on them. The birds usually take quite readily to this and will easily self feed off of it. This method helps avoid injuries.

Any food you offer should be warm (not hot!). Do not feed him food that is too cold either, as this will render the young bird ill, and most likely kill him.

Do notallow any formula you give to the chicks to be over-moist. As well as the risk of pneumonia, over-moist food can also cause diarrhea, another often fatal condition for young birds. What you are looking for is a consistency something like slightly creamy mashed potatoes.

To feed, touch the bird's beak a couple of times, which should make him open his mouth. If he does not open his mouth, he may be sick or injured, or simply unused to you. Get the food well into his mouth, but be gentle. If he is healthy, he will usually do most of the work himself. Tapping the box gently before feeding can also become a signal that food is on the way.

Nestlings should never be forcibly fed, as this can cause severe injury. If the bird is reluctant to eat, a small amount of food can be placed on the tip of the beak. In his efforts to dislodge the food, some will find its way to his mouth. After a few attempts, he should begin to realize that you are trying to give him food. However, reluctancy to feed is very often a sign of stress, injury, or sickness, any of which should be dealt with quickly.

Feed every 15 minutes, from 6:00 in the morning until about 9:00 or 10:00 at night. The portions of food should be easy for him to swallow. If you look on the right side of his neck, you will eventually see a bulge that will travel from his head to his body. This is the food being swallowed. (Neat, eh?)

As they grow, slowly increase the amount you feed per sitting while decreasing the frequency. I would say to make these changes on a weekly basis, as above. Any changes to the frequency and amount of feeding should be done gradually, over the course of a few days if it is a drastic change.

Once fledged, the young birds should be gently weaned off the formula over a period of a week or so. They should be introduced to their natural foods immediately after fledging, even if they are not completely off the formula yet. Basic adult diets are listed in the 'Species Info.' page, but independently research the exact needs of the species you have.

Mealworms, waxworms, wingless fruit flies, de-winged mayflies, and crickets are acceptable dietary supplements. They can be bought at the pet store, although they have to be chopped into bite size morsels. Do not give the bird too many mealworms or crickets, since the chitin (hard parts) are hard to digest, and can cause problems if given too frequently. Use these only occasionally to supplement their regular diet. Waxworms are rich, and so should also not be overused. Mealworms, waxworms, and crickets are not to be used as a substitute for dried flies since their nutritional values differ from flies. Fruit flies can be used as substitutes for dried flies.

If using fresh caught insects as supplements or ingredients, avoid the following; houseflies, cockroaches, spiders, ants, caterpillars, earthworms(!). These particular insects either produce toxic substances that would harm your bird, or are carriers of bacteria or other parasites that can also endanger the chick.

Fruits, grains, and other adult foods should generally be avoided during the nestling phase, as nestlings are usually unable to cope with them.

Do not feed dairy products, raw meat, or sea food to your bird. These foods are totally unsuitable for all the birds dealt with in this site. They will cause severe gastric problems or food poisoning.

Do not underestimate the need for a proper diet for your young charge. The recipes offered below are the best options for all young songbirds. If you insist on straying to some other, you may well be putting the chick in danger. Slow death or improper development can occur.

Poorly developed feathers which are weak and and whose hairs are damaged at the microscopic level can occur from inadequate diets. This reduces flying ability and the insulating properties of the plumage, and is a virtual death sentence if the bird is released in such a condition.

Weak bone structure is another common condition suffered by hand-raised wild birds. While Calcium is an obvious concern, other nutrients also play an important role in preventing this.

Weakened immunity, poorly developped eyesight, low energy, and a host of other problems can be also be caused by improper diet.

All North American songbirds are fed a diet of insects (flies) during their nesting period. But even if you can obtain these (fresh or from a pet store), it's still a good idea to follow one of the recipes given below. Different songbirds still have different nutritional needs despite the seeming similarity of their nestling diet. The MacLeod recipes listed below are the latest best options for all young songbirds, and were developed by an avian researcher who wanted to formulate the best possible general diets for nestlings.

If you do not have access to the ingredients for the recipes below, please do not hesitate to contact me for advice. I will do my best to provide you with an alternative diet.

If you just found the bird, and it is too late to go to the store, use dry cat/dog food (cat food is better) that has been soaked completely, but squeeze out the excess moisture with your fingers as much as you can. Cooked egg yolk mixed with a little water to form a paste is also a good alternative. These 2 options are not nutritious enough for constant use, but will hold him through the night.

This first recipe is the best general recipe. It was developed by an avian researcher, and can be used for all young songbirds. It is not to be used for doves, pigeons, swallows, or swifts.

1/2 cup Purina ProPlan Kitten (with just enough water to soften)

2 Hard Boiled Egg Whites

3 Tablespoons Science Diet Feline Growth canned

2 Tablespoons Freeze Dried Insects (some flies a must)

1/2 Tablespoon Knox Blox

800 mg Calcium (4 low sodium regular Tums work well)

100 mg Vitamin C

* The brands used are very important. But if you have no other choices, then substitute with a similar product.

The Knox Blox is made with Knox gelatin. Put 1/2 teaspoon in small baby food jar, add cold water to dissolve, then add boiling water until jar is 2/3 full. Use 1/2 tablespoon for your first batch, then refrigerate the rest.

This recipe must be made fresh and not placed in the freezer. It will keep two days in refrigerator.

If you cannot get all the ingredients for the recipe above, please use the "Alternative Recipe" which follows instead. A diet which is missing key ingredients is inadequate.

The following alternative diet is for those who are having difficulty finding the ingredients for the Macleod's Passerine Diet. This recipe may also be used for swallows and swifts. It should not be used for doves or pigeons.

1 Cup Purina Pro Plan KITTEN dry soaked in enough hot water to soften all the way through and drain off excess water before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.

1 small jar (2.5oz) Gerber or Heinz strained baby food CHICKEN flavor.

1 Hard Boiled Egg White (sieve through a fine colander while still hot).

1 Tablespoon plain yogurt

Mix the above together to obtain a smooth paste. If the mixture is too thick, a little water may be added.

Doves and pigeons are fed a very different diet by their parents than the other birds listed on this site. The parents produce a cheesy-like substance which they regurgitate to their young. The recipe is provided just below the following tips:

Doves and pigeons do not require the constant feeding needed by other commonly rescued nestlings. About 6 feedings a day is adequate for them. These birds store their food in their crops and swallow as necessary. When feeding, the crop should bulge slightly, but it should never become so loaded as to appear to stretch the skin. Reversely, the crop should never be allowed to become empty except at night.

DO NOT over-feed doves or pigeons. This can cause serious health problems. They will often ask for more food then they need, so it's up to you to figure out the appropriate amounts they actually need. Start with smaller amounts of food and check their crops to see when they are empty. Adjust the amount of food as necessary.

When feeding doves or pigeons, it is a good idea to offer them water to drink, since unlike songbirds, they do sometimes require it. This should never be done forcibly, and a water dish should never be left in the box. Slide a very small cup filled with water toward the bird, and very gently dip the tip of the beak into the water so that the beak points in a vertical position. If the bird is thirsty, he will start drinking in this position. Take care not to accidentally splash water on him or around the nose, and do not dip the bird's beak into the water so that the nasal openings become wet. (All very dangerous!) Only the absolute tip of the beak needs to be dipped into the water. If he does not drink, or has had his fill, remove the water until the next feeding. If the MacLeod Dove Formula is sufficiently moist, it is likely the bird will not need to drink until the finch seed is added. Once the bird is sufficiently mobile, provide a hanging water bin.

Getting the young of these species to eat can sometimes be difficult. As opposed to automatically opening their mouths when you present the food, as in the other species listed on this page, young doves and pigeons must "fish out" food from their parents mouths. As a feeding signal, parents place their beaks over the beaks of their young, and "tap" a couple of times. Then the chicks knows it is time to get to work.

This calls for a different feeding strategy from you. There are 2 possible ways to emulate the pre-feeding behavior of the parents.

From what I've been told, it seems young doves and pigeons realize quickly the new way of eating, and will not need to be coaxed in this fashion for long.

1 jar Gerber or Heinz baby beef baby food

1 tablespoons finely ground corn meal (yellow or white)

1 whole hard-boiled egg, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon wheat germ flakes

1/4 teaspoon brewers yeast (for B-complex vitamins)

1/2 inch ribbon of Nutrical squeezed from tube

Mix with pedialyte (or water if necessary) until the mixture is a medium syrup consistency.

When the nestling is at least half feathered, add just a pinch of fine grit to formula.(Canary grit obtainable from pet stores is fine)

When feathers are beginning to open (about 10 days old) the diet should consist of 80% MacLeod Dove Formula and 20% very small finch seed, mixed together.

There are many sources on the net that state that these commercial products have worked well for raising all sorts of wild birds. The fact is, these preparations were not designed for songbirds, doves, corvids, or any other North American bird. They were designed for parrots and parakeets. If you check out the description of Hagen's handrearing formula on their own page (www.hagen.com) they specifically mention that the formula is unsuitable for small seed eaters.

You may be tempted nonetheless to use them, since they are so available, and easy to use. In all likelihood, your bird will grow up in a seemingly normal fashion. But there are 2 key points that I should like you to note. First, some of these formulas contain soy as one of their constituents. I've been told by a rehabilitator that soy is indigestible by our North American birds. What this means is not only will it not be broken down in the bird's digestive system, but the gastric balance will be disturbed enough so that other nutrients will also not be absorbed properly. Secondly, because of the different percentages of protein, carbohydrates, etc., in these handrearing formulas, North American birds will likely suffer symptoms of nutritional deficiencies. (beyond the soy problem itself) Lack of energy, low muscle tone, and even anemia can occur. These are serious problems for small birds, and it is never a good idea to to give a bad nutritional start to a baby.

I did use it myself for the chick I was raising, but in retrospect, I believe it did affect my bird's development. My bird developed far slower than others of his kind, taking a full 3 weeks to fledge, instead of the 2 that it usually takes. Compared to the young I saw outside, and to the experiences I've heard from others, his flight skills also developed slowly.

In my opinion, these formulas cannot be recommended. The recipes mentioned above are far more nutritionally balanced.

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This website is not intended to replace the expert care that is only available by professional rehabilitators. The use of this website is only intended for those where the option of bringing an orphaned bird to a rehabilitator is not possible. By raising a wild bird yourself, you greatly diminish it's chances for survival. Please check this link for a rehabilitation center in your community: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm. If none are listed near you, call a local animal shelter, veterinarian, or wildlife office/agent for information on local rescue centers. Thank you.

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