Raising A Baby Bird

This page deals with birds on a species to species basis. Special needs, information, and caring strategies are offered to give you a better idea of what it is that you can do for your bird. I have listed information for the most common species that are found by visitors to my site. If your species is not here and you wish to find out more about it, feel free to emailme.

To review what is meant by the term "Hard Pen Time", it is simply the amount of time, after the bird has fledged, where they must be kept before release. It does not mean you have to have a 'pen' of some sort. Once the bird has made his first real flying attempt, count that as day "One" of the 'hard pen time'. Set him up in a cage, aviary, or his own room, and use this time to promote as many natural skills and behaviors as you can.

Hard Pen Time: 2-3 weeks

Basic Adult Diet: Seeds, grain, nuts, fruits and some vegetable matter, insects.

There are few extraordinary needs for this resilient and hardy species. When released, be sure to provide food at a familiar place in your yard for a couple of weeks. They quickly lose their tameness.

Young starlings have an almost insatiable appetite. They can also be very loud and demanding. Once they have fledged, they are intensely curious. Watch for their safety.

They usually require that you steadily provide them with food (fruits, vegetables, bread products, etc) for several weeks after they have been released. A little formula can be given during the first few days as a treat.

Hard Pen Time: 1-2 months

Basic Adult Diet: Nuts, grains, fruits and some vegetable matter, insects.

Blue Jays and Crows are very social, resourceful, and intelligent birds. They often live in family groups within a specified territory. It is in these family groups that young jays and crows learn much of what they need to know to survive.

These species tend to have extreme difficulties coping on their own when handraised, and this can be a deadly state of affairs. Not only must they have others from which to learn about survival from, but there is also the fact that when young birds of this group are released and they meet other members of their own kind, they are often attacked outright as intruders of the territory. These attacks can occasionally be fatal, but more commonly, the local wild group will prevent the birds from returning to its human caretakers, possibly the only source of food, shelter, and yes, comfort, the young bird knows.

Jays and crows definitely need to become familiar with your backyard before they are released. Even a makeshift aviary will serve this purpose, and they should be left in it for most of the day at first, and eventually spend the nights in them as well. Make sure the aviary is protected from full sunlight, as well as any harsh weather. If you do not have or cannot make an aviary, bring them outdoors in a cage often, but remember to alternate this with flying practice indoors.

These birds must be released very slowly, and they are the only group in which I recommend a prolonged care period during release. These birds should never simply be let go without subsequent and continued supervision. If after the first day of release, the bird returns in an agitated state, you may return him to his familiar home (aviary or in the house, as the case may be) for the night, and feed him if necessary. And this can be repeated for some time if it is needed.

Jays and crows that have been handraised with siblings, while still vulnerable to the attacks of others of their kind, are somewhat better able to cope due to the fact that they have each other for support. Professional rehabilitators, by virtue of raising so many birds, can house them with others of their kind, providing them with a surrogate family.

It is not impossible for these birds to return regularly for up to year, expecting food and comfort from you. Provide a well-stocked feeder for them. You may maintain a relationship with them, but remember that you are supposed to be promoting their independence as well.

Care must be taken that they are released well before the cold season so that they have adequate time to prepare for it. Blue jays are said to sometimes migrate, though the ones around my place do not (Quebec). It is likely that a handraised jay will not migrate and will continue to return to your feeder. If he is otherwise in good health, the cold will not harm him.

Hard Pen Time: 3 weeks

Basic Adult Diet: Grains, nuts, fruits and some vegetable matter, insects.

A generally hardy bird, but needs to be raised on a good diet since they are even more prone than other birds to nutritional disorders. Because of this, the Macleod's Passerine Diet is even more strongly recommended. Make sure that the bird is getting enough food, since this species is less vocal than other nestlings. Often returns for handouts once released.

If grackles are given a substandard diet, their feather condition becomes inadequate for them to survive outdoors. The feathers produced are weak, and do not intermesh properly. This hinders flying ability and reduces the insulating properties of the plumage. The damage is often not visible, and only disappears during the next molt, if the cause(s) of the damage has been removed.

For a similar reason, grackles should not be touched by human hands. The oils from our hands erodes the protective waxes and oils on their feathers quickly, again robbing them of their flight and insulating properties until the next molt. Gloves are recommended for handling the bird when necessary.

Hard Pen Time: 3 weeks

Basic Adult Diet: Seed, grains, corn.

Please see the 'Recipes' page for special notes on feeding and diet. Though commonly thought of as "gentle" birds, when hand raised these birds can sometimes become aggressively demanding. The wing joints are hard and knobby, and they can deliver very strong blows by slapping with their wings. Caution is recommended since these blows could dislocate a finger.

During the hard pen time, provide shelves as well as thick branches for the birds to roost on. They prefer these to regular perches. They will often roost on the ground as well.

Doves and pigeons are well-known carriers of Trichomoniasis, a parasitical disease which is contagious to other birds, and perhaps(?) to humans. Any lesions, inflammation, or 'slime', in or around the mouth, nose, or beak, is suspect. The disease is fatal if untreated.

Robins are fairly easy to raise (for a wild bird), and revert to their wild state quickly after release. Should be offered one or 2 small garden caught earthworms each day during the hard pen time to become familiar with them. Do not use "fishing worms" from fishing supply stores, as these are often treated with growth hormones, and are too big anyway.

*** Please note - Robins are believed to be carriers of the West Nile Virus. They do not die from it. Extreme caution is recommended when dealing with these birds, as they can easily transmit the virus to a person.

Finches are generally timid birds, so keep stress levels down. (quiet room, no visitors, etc.) Compared to other species, they can take a long time to become free feeding once fledged. DO NOT release a finch until you are sure that it can eat seeds, etc. on its own, and is completely weaned from the formula. Provide a feeder in your yard for a sure source of food.

Swallows should be released once they are capable of sustained flight. (usually about one week or so after they have fledged) Since they need a large area to practice their flying skills, unless you have a very large aviary (10 feet cubed), swallows should be given a safe room to fly in. Make sure to remove any objects which could fall or otherwise injure the bird should he knock into them, and cover the windows with dark drapes. (flying into windows often kills them)

A tight rope with a diameter of around 1/4" should be hung high in the room, from wall to wall. This will provide a roosting spot. Should a swallow fall to the ground, he will not be able to regain his flight without your assistance.

Swallows need to be fed formula until they are released. Their adult diet consists of flying insects, which you will not be able to provide in sufficient quantity. Be assured however that once released, he will instinctively know how to catch such insects on his own.

Swallows often return for handouts for a couple of weeks after release. Be sure to provide a tight cord to land on, which should be about 5 feet above the ground, and at least 10 feet long.

Chimney swifts are excellent climbers, and should be returned to the chimney. Place them on the "wall" of the chimney, somewhere above the flue. Make sure they have a good grip. Check every few hours to make sure they are no longer there, which means they will have begun their journey back home. DO NOT simply place them in the fireplace. They need to have a good vertical grip to move and climb.

If nestlings continually fall out of the chimney, this could suggest a health problem with the birds, or a problem with the chimney itself.

Chimney swifts can be prevented from nesting in the chimney by using special screenings that are sold for this purpose. Or you could foster their survival by simply deciding not to use the fireplace between April and September. This is also not a good time to have the chimney cleaned.

If nonetheless you find yourself having to care for a swift yourself, they require that some special needs be taken into consideration.

Nestling chimney swifts need the option to roost horizontally or vertically (more often the latter). A wooden box is necessary, and the wood must be very rough so that they can get an adequate grip. Line the box with cloth, making sure the whole bottom is covered. Place a heating pad under (not in) the box, and adjust the setting so that it will keep a temperature between 85-90 degrees F. inside the box. (Measure the temperature by placing a thermometer at the bottom of the box) Chimney swifts are very sensitive to cold.

To prevent escapes, the box should be covered with a screen. A thick dark towel must be placed over the whole setup, leaving an inch or so for air.

Once fledged, unless you have a very large aviary (10 feet squared or more), swifts should be allowed to fly free in an enclosed room during the whole of the hard pen time. Provide vertical perches such as pieces of rough wood hanging from the wall. Chimney tubes or similar are also recommended. Their flight is very energetic and fast, so make sure there are no obvious dangers. Remove objects which could fall, and cover the windows with dark shades (flying straight into windows will often kill them) Chimney swifts that land on the ground cannot take off again, and will require your assistance to become airborne.

Chimney swifts will need to be fed formula until they are released. Their natural adult diet is flying insects, which you will not be able to provide in sufficient quantity. However, once free, they instinctively know how to catch their food.

The main point of the hard pen time for swifts is to build stamina before they take their first flight out of the chimney. Before the wings are anywhere near ready for flight, the babies hang onto the wall and flap their wings until they are exhausted. Once they have fledged, it's very important for them to practice short hops (in the chimney they would go from one side to another) in order to get good at controlling landings. When they have fledged, they have to be very careful about coming back into the chimney so they don't hurt themselves or another bird. It is also vital that they can "near-hover" before they are released, meaning not quite hover but dang close to it. Once they can do this, you can release them.

Chimney swifts often return for handouts, so make sure to provide a vertical perching spot where you can feed him if necessary.

Picture of chimney swifts taken a few weeks apart to show the development of the chicks over time. Note the nest, which is made out of twigs and sticks, cemented together and onto the interior of the chimney with the parents' saliva.

Hard Pen Time: 3 weeks

Basic Adult Diet: Insects, larvae, fruit.

Generally a hardy bird, but can be very prone to nutritional disorders when hand raised. Of particular importance for these birds are Thiamin, Calcium, and Phosphorus, and an appropriate amount of protein in their diet. The Macleod's Passerine Diet is even more strongly recommended for these birds because of these factors. If you are unable to find the ingredients for the Macleod's diet, use the alternative recipe listed on my "Recipes" page, and ask a vet for supplements. Mealworms should also be added liberally to any diet/recipe used. Fruit should be avoided during the nestling stage, and should only be a small supplement thereafter, no more than 1/3 of the total diet by weight.

Cat birds usually lose their tameness soon after they learn to feed on their own. They are very energetic and free willed birds, and are very sneaky with their escape attempts. If the bird becomes too frantic trying to escape, it is best to release him to avoid him injuring himself, even if the hard pen time is not yet over.

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Common Mistakes

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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.

Nestlings	Fledglings	Precocial Chicks	General Care	Recipes
Species Info.	Common Mistakes	Release	Bird Essays	FAQ

House Sparrow	Starling	Blue Jay	Crow
Grackle	Dove/Pigeon	Robin	House Finch
Swallow	Chimney Swift	Mocking bird	Cat bird