a baby bird in my yard appears to have fallen from its nest. What can i feed it to keep it alive?

Answer 1

Leave it alone. It may be learning how to fly, etc. Just let the mom take care of it. I love animals myself, but it's not up to us ... let it be. Same with baby bunnies.

Answer 2

Not supposed to touch fallen baby birds, it pretty well insures their death. But check out the source link anyway.

EDIT:

When I was younger, I found a baby bird, took it in, and called up an animal place, who said to feed it mushy cat food (not shredded or chucky, has to be mushy like barf) with a tooth pick.

Just scoop a tiny bit with the toothpick, and the bird will have it's mouth open and screaming for food (If it's that young), keep a damn good grip on the toothpick, cause it's easy for them to knock the thing right out of your hand, and get stuck in their throat.

Just constantly feed it when it wants food. The bad thing is, is they ask for food every few hours, and it can be very agrivating. If you don't have the patience, consider the bird dead.

But that's only if mom doesn't take the bird back. Last resort should be taking the bird in for yourself.

EDIT again:
Where do people get the idea that baby wild animals can have milk? BAD BAD BAD. The milk we drink is hard on a baby animals stomach and can upset them ALOT. Baby wildlife needs formula, and not just human baby formula, but a special formula.

MILK IS BAD.

Answer 3

Your not supposed to touch baby birds because the mother wont touch it if it has "human smell" on it. It will surely die then.

Leave it alone for a few hours, make sure nothing (other than birds) try to get at it, and call your local humane society.

If the mother bird does not come back within 5 hours...

you may have to feed it cooked rice, bread crumbs, cut-up worms (very tiny), corn bread crumbs.

Be sure to give the little thing an adaquate amount of water from an eye-dropper if possible.

Also consult a vet.

Answer 4

NO BREAD!!! Don't feed it bread!!! Bread will expand in their little chests and kill them. If you're real careful, put on some gloves and just pop 'em back into their nest. If they're on the ground for too long coons or possums will eat them. Or your neighborhood cat. If you HAVE to feed them, small, itty bitty worms, mushy chick feed from the feed store, (watered down), little dead grasshoppers, moths, small insects. And they's need bits of water with a syrnige. Just put a drop or two on the beak. (not over the nostril slits)

Answer 5

Steady diet of worms only is not healthy. Wild robins eat bugs as well. I have raised many wild birds using cat food. I would soak the dry cat food until it was just moist, not mushy, and insert small pieces down the throat with some blunt tweezers until the crop or breast looks poochy and full. Doing this about every hour or two at first.

Answer 6

it will die, do it a favor, if u can not put it back to the nest, put it in the W.C. and flash the water. better then torturing it with not correct food and wrong care.
it's mother is feeding it in nature every few minuets, u will not manage to keep up, and anyhow, u don't even know which food it needs. pigeons are eating only food the mother is spitting for them for example...
by the way, how can u tell it fell? can't it fly at all? u know that at the beginning when they learn to fly, they leave the nest and the mother is following them and feeding them?
try to give it back to it's mother.

Answer 7

Don't feed it a worm unless it is a robin. Robins are the only birds that eat worms. A safe bet is feeding it watered down catfood. I work at a bird center and that's what we feed most of our birds.

Answer 8

that happened to me. Baby birds are extremely picky. You can get him some warm bread and water. But i STRONGLY reccomend for u to go outside and find a worm or two in the dirt and handfeed him. He might not like it but it's what their moms feed them. Thats gonna take some patience because they wiggle alot and makes it hard for the bird to swallow.

Answer 9

Please return it to the nest! Most birds have a very poorly developed sense of smell so your scent is not something to worry about. If the parents do not return please get it to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center immediately. Improper care or feeding will kill a baby bird as surely as neglect.

Answer 10

I agree if the mom is till around leave it alone. Otherwise, take it to a animal clinic. I tried once to take care of some abandoned baby birds and they almost died. Luckly I took them to a clinic in time and they were able to help them.

Answer 11

As soon as you touch it, the mother will not take it back and that ensures death. If you have already youre best taking it to a vet and droping it off at the door before they come in in the morning or giving it to a nature sanctuary