What to Feed Baby Birds ? As spring arrives, so does the symphony of chirping baby birds. These little creatures, often found nestled or lightly hung from twigs, demand special attention and feeding. Whether you have found a lost nestling or are in the process of raising a fledgling until it takes to the skies, knowing what to feed baby birds is important for its health and well-being.
Knowing What to Feed Baby Birds Needs
Before going into the foods, one needs to understand the nutritional requirements of the baby bird. As with all living organisms, young birds require a well-balanced diet, rich in proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals to develop into healthy and robust birds. However, the nutritional requirements of baby birds differ with the birds species and stage of development.
1۔ Commercial Baby Bird Formula:
Baby bird formulas are commercial foods formulated for baby birds. Such foods simulate the nutritional content of the food that adult birds would regurgitate to feed their babies. Most pet stores, as well as veterinary clinics, sell these.
2۔ Soaked Dog or Cat Food:
High-quality wet dog or cat food, which is soaked in water, should be given to baby birds to be a natural source of moisture and high-quality protein. Omnivore and carnivore species will accept this without much trouble. Just make sure that the food does not contain artificial additives or fillers.
3۔ Chopped Hard-Boiled Eggs:
Eggs are a natural source of protein and many other nutrients essential for healthy growth. Chop up hard-boiled eggs in small portions and feed them to insectivore or omnivore baby birds.
4۔ Insects and Mealworms:
Live insects such as mealworms, crickets, or small flies work good for those insect-eating species of birds. Just keep them of the right size and gut-loaded to have efficient feeding.
5۔ Fruits and Vegetables:
Soft fruits like berries, apples, and bananas or finely chopped vegetables like carrots and broccoli can add some vitamins and minerals for fruit-eating species of birds.
6۔ Nectar or Honey Solution:
For nectar-feeding species, like hummingbirds, you can prepare a sugar solution, where for every part of sugar, there are four parts of water. Avoid honey because that might cause digestive problems.
Feeding Baby Birds
What to Feed Baby Birds? Feeding baby birds is a patience and gentleness exercise because if done improperly, you might end up giving them stress or even injury. Following are some tips to feed them successfully:
Use Proper Equipment: Depending on the size and age of the bird, you can use a syringe, eyedropper, or small spoon to introduce the food into their beak.
Feed Often: Young birds have a high metabolism and need to be fed constantly, sometimes at an interval of 15 to 30 minutes during the day.
Emulate Natural Feeding: Imitate the natural feeding habits of adult birds by softly inserting the feeding tool into the bird’s beak and let the bird swallow it voluntarily.
