What can baby robins eat?

Question

My friend and I found a baby robin. We didn't touch it but got it in an old guinea pig cage. We just need it to stay in the cage outside for tonight because Nature's Nursry is closed for the day. We'll call in the morning. I need to know what I can substitute for worms and bugs that the robin can eat. It's bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball. It can't fly.

Answer 1

Read through this site.

Answer 2

If the baby robin has its feathers, it is a fledgling. Baby birds fledge (leave the nest) several days before they can fly. They need to hop around on the ground and climb low branches until their wings are strong enough for flight. The parent birds continue to feed and care for the fledglings until they are self sufficient. If this is a fledgling, you need to put it back where you found it (before dark, or first thing in the morning, as soon as the sun it up), so the parents can continue to care for it and feed it the appropriate food.

Also, do not worry about touching the baby. The parents will NOT kill it, reject it or abandon it if you touch it. That is one of the most persistent myths about birds, but it IS just a myth. Wildlife biologists and bird banders handle baby birds all the time, with their bare hands. The parent birds never kill/reject/abandon the babies once they are returned to the nests. You can see photos here: http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/p...

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What can baby robins eat?
My friend and I found a baby robin. We didn't touch it but got it in an old guinea pig cage. We just need it to stay in the cage outside for tonight because Nature's Nursry is closed for the day. We'll call in the morning. I need to know what I can substitute for worms and bugs that...

Answer 4

You can make a mash put of boiled egg yolks and purified water and use an eye dropper to feed it. Do this every few hours.
You can also get some hand feeding formula from the pet store, or get a small amount of ground beef and liquefy it and still use the eye dropper to feed it.
Best of luck and I hope it makes it to the Nature's nursery in the morning.

Answer 5

Terri is right, take some bits of ground beef, or some shavings off a roast (raw, both), show them to the baby, and when it opens its mouth, shove it on in.

I raised a blue jay this way.

And it's a myth you can't touch a baby bird; they don't have a sense of smell mostly, although some have a bit of one.

Answer 6

Lean Ground Round - its what the animal sanctuary feeds their small rescued birds .I personally have kept several alive with that diet.They need feeding often though - every 3 hours or so when they are young!
So worth it.

Answer 7

Usually they eat regurgitated worms and such, but Id call your local pet store/veterinarian and see what they say.

Answer 8

feed it bits of bread soaked in milk or water

Answer 9

Why not just give mashed up worms. I bet it is so cute.

Answer 10

I foster wild and abandoned animals until they are able to be adopted or released. Please e-mail me your location and if you want I could take the bird. [e-mail]