Q&A for How to Care for Wild Baby Birds

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How do you make sugar water for hummingbirds?

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist
Jeff Jones is a Bird Specialist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the writer of BirdOculars, a website dedicated to helping people become better birders. He has over 18 years of experience and specializes in feeding birds and wildlife. Jeff experiments to find ways to encourage birds he wants to study and his website help others to do the same.

Jeff Jones

Bird Specialist

Expert Answer

Mix four cups of water with one cup of white sugar. Boil the water, add the sugar, stir and return to a boil. Let the sugar solution cool before putting in a container in the refrigerator. Then fill your hummingbird feeders with the sugar water and place outside.

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Question

How do I attract birds to my bird table?

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist
Jeff Jones is a Bird Specialist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the writer of BirdOculars, a website dedicated to helping people become better birders. He has over 18 years of experience and specializes in feeding birds and wildlife. Jeff experiments to find ways to encourage birds he wants to study and his website help others to do the same.

Jeff Jones

Bird Specialist

Expert Answer

You have to spend some time observing what birds you see in your backyard and feeding the ones you want to stay there. Good way to attract a variety of birds is by using sunflower seeds as it appeals to the greatest number of birds.

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Question

Can you feed small birds from your hand?

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist
Jeff Jones is a Bird Specialist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the writer of BirdOculars, a website dedicated to helping people become better birders. He has over 18 years of experience and specializes in feeding birds and wildlife. Jeff experiments to find ways to encourage birds he wants to study and his website help others to do the same.

Jeff Jones

Bird Specialist

Expert Answer

You have to start by taking down feeders before standing near the main feeder. Move closer each day and present sunflower seeds from your hand. Once they're comfortable with you, you will use these sunflower seeds to entice them into eating straight from your hand.

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Question

What should I do if the mom is going to kill the baby bird?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Harsh as it sounds, any baby bird's best chances of survival are to be reared by the parents. If the mother is attacking the baby then she has either sensed it is unhealthy or the nest has been disturbed in some way. Try to stand back and leave the mother with her young, since sensing people watching will only cause her further distress and make her more liable to reject the baby.

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Question

I found a baby pigeon that is unable to stand because his legs are open 180 degrees. What can I do to help him survive?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

The bird's best option for survival is to let the parent birds care for him, but this will only be successful if the bird doesn't have a physical problem, such as broken legs or dislocated hips, which would prevent him being fully mobile. If he is weak and there are no parent birds caring for him, then speak to a wildlife rehabilitation officer, who may be able to get the bird checked over to see what can be done to help it.

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Question

What toy can I give her to play with?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Do not attempt to give a newborn bird a toy. They do not need toys in the same way that people do, and there is a greater chance of causing distress by placing an unfamiliar object close to her.

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Question

I found a baby bird, but the rehab center isn't open until morning. What should I do?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Keep the baby bird as warm as possible by lining a shoebox with straw or shredded tissue and placing that on a hot water bottle. It's important to stress the bird as little as possible, so leave it in a dark, quiet place. More important than food is water to prevent the bird becoming dehydrated, so drip- feed water from an eye dropper or a small syringe.

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