What To Feed An Abandoned Baby Bird

How, What, and When to feed an abandoned baby bird. Ideally, we recommend putting the baby bird back into its nest, leaving it alone for the parent birds to feed it, or getting it to a licensed bird rehabber. Only if these options are not available, and your baby bird is truly orphaned, should you intervene and feed him. This video should be helpful!
Narrated, Photographed & Edited by Mike Franzman


[IowaKim]

One of my fondest memories as a child was when raising a baby bird found without home or parents. A great experience for a child. The responsibility that comes and also the thirst to know more about birds is really stimulated in a child. Both bird & child can get benefit from the experience. That said, here I am at 64 years of age with a baby wren. It rekindles that sense of awe of the experience. Thank you for your video.

[KAREN-odyx]

A few months ago I raised a baby sparrow using a mix of crushed cat biscuits, boiled egg yolk, ground oats, banana, and finely ground eggshell all mixed into a paste with some water. It did the trick and the baby survived. Unfortunately, it later became apparent that the fledgling was paralysed...He's still with me now, but as a pet...no chance of release.

[Peaches]

I am currently very disturbed. I just recently rescued a blue bird hatchling and for the past three days have been feeding it only earthworms. Thank God I just found this video!!

[mannyromero]

I've rescued hundreds in my lifetime...4 the starter, squeeze out the execess water like he said and buggar them tweezers, fingers have done nicely for me since 1970.

[Anarky]

Oh thank goodness! My cats just brought in a baby bird. Thank you for letting me know I can feed them soaked dry food. What a relief!!! <3

[adamcenteno]

I know I can find it in the internet but it’s nice to hear you explain it since you’ve had experience already. Thanks.

[susanravella]

Thank you so much! I was standing in my kitchen with a nestling in my hand when I found this video, and I am so appreciative! There were a lot of ignorant videos that wasted valuable time to get to the end where they smugly informed the audience to either find a rehabber or let nature "take its course." Thank you for being a caring person 💕

[ceciliaobrien]

Thank you!! Followed the steps and baby sparrow is thriving, feeding him (?) every 20 min. What we did to keep him consistently warm was a bowl of hot water under his nest (same bowl as the one with hot water below) and microwaving the water every time we feed him, for one minute. The ‘nest’ on the top bowl is a fuzzy sock filked with rice and lined with tissue paper, easy to change as he poops. At night he is in a room with a small heater nearby. Worked out! Good luck to you all❤

[oh_k]

Mike your videos about rescuing baby birds have been priceless. Rehabbers are few and far between and sometimes they are so overloaded they cannot take anymore birds.

[kellyhparmenter]

This is very helpful information for people who find abandoned baby birds because those babies need loveand care around the clock.

[rabidunicorn]

This did help, my husband works at a saw mill and sadly he found a baby bird with no nest any where nearby, he searched all around and it’s nearly 102 F• out so he took it home since he didn’t want it to die out in the sun all alone. We raised plenty of ducks, chickens and turkeys from babies but never a regular

[Trupak]

Great video Mike, but one thing you forgot to mention is that often the nests will get attacked by predators. In those situations it’s safer to rehab than leave the nestlings in the backyard where, even though the parents are feeding them, they have no nest (and no safe hiding place) leaving them vulnerable to attack at any moment. Most likely by the same predator(s).

[melanatedroyalty]

Thank you, Mike! I found a fresh newborn in the driveway today and this video helped a lot! ❤

[HM-jutv]

This bird fell out of a nest very high up in my backyard. One of my cats almost hurt it so I instantly picked it up and put it in a cat carrier so the mom could talk to it. The mom has been around but I can’t put the baby down because we have so many cats around.

[lovelyrobles]

Praying the baby sparrow we found makes it we are trying our best to feed it. Trying to find the right meals for what we think is a week old. My fiance found it while checking for wasps around our house. But sadly found his sibling passed away next to it on the ground but this baby was alive with cockroaches next to it eating the corpse and nibbling at this living baby bird. We tried looking for the nest but nowhere to be seen or momma. Prayers up😓 this poor baby thrives and makes it .🙏 ✨ thank you for the tips you are amazing.💕

[sandycalderon]

this is great! I find birds after a storm every year, but I put them back in a nest, if the nest is gone, I have even moved to an empty nest and the mother bird ALWAYS follows me and just picks it up from there. they dont seem to mind me relocating to a viable home, when theirs was torn up by storms. and so glad you say not to give them water! I know people who immediately do that, or worse- milk. birds are not mammals and can not digest milk. and remember, fledglings are supposed to be hopping around the ground. they are learning to feed on the ground and fly, the parents are near by, leave it be. great video!

[NochesLoches]

I should’ve watched this first, wallahi they’re cooked 😭😭😭

[htwntx]

Cats being around is another reason to rescue some baby birds that have feel out of the nest. Tried to put them back and was getting attacked lol I got them on my porch in a box now with something soft to be on. I'll try the cat food and scrambled egg thing tomorrow.

[warren.]

I wish i knew earthworms could have parasites before i just spent 3 hours digging them up

[Alisteroflight]

Just wanted to thank you since you pretty much just saved the baby that fell out of the nest😊 off a roof that I can't get back