How to Take Care of a Wild Bird

Co-authored by Jeff Jones

Last Updated: February 9, 2023 References Approved

If you've found an injured bird out in the wild, you may want to help rehabilitate it until it can be released into the wild again. That said, caring for a wild bird can be difficult, and there are few guarantees about its health. Before you remove the bird from the wild, you should be absolutely certain that the bird needs rescuing. It is normal for young fledglings to be outside of the nest as they are learning to fly and to survive on their own. Their parents may leave them alone in between feeding them in order to attract less attention to them. Unfeathered chicks can be hand-raised, but you should try to find their nest and return them first. While baby birds can be hand raised, adult wild birds should not be kept in captivity. Only rescue the bird if it is injured or in shock. Adult birds should be handed over to a wild bird sanctuary as soon as possible.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Rescuing the Bird

1
Identify the bird. Not all birds found on the ground are in need of rescue or care. Some bird species raise their young on the ground, including killdeer, plovers, and seabirds as well as all chicken and duck species.^{[1]
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Research source} Furthermore, identifying whether the bird is a seed or insect eater or whether they are prone to certain diseases will be essential in caring for your bird. When identifying the bird, pay attention to different parts of their body. Juvenile birds have different markings from adult birds, but their species can usually still be determined by their shape, weight, and coloration.^{[2]
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- What is their silhouette or shape? How big are they?
- What markings do they have? Where on their bodies are the markings located?
- What color are they? Where do the colors appear on their bodies?
- Are they prey hunters or songbirds?
- Where did you find them? The woods? A marsh? A meadow?
2
Determine the bird's age. At this stage, you should also check to see if a young bird is a nestling or a fledgling. Nestlings are young chicks who are not yet moving much. They have been pushed or blown out of their nest. Most nestlings will not have developed markings or coloration yet. They will either have no feathers or fluffy downy feathers. Fledglings can flap their wings and are training to fly. They will have a thin layer of feathers and may have some slight markings. It is normal for fledgling birds to be outside of the nest, and it is harmful to capture them.^{[3]
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3
Test their grip. Place the bird on your finger and see if they can grip. If they have a strong grip, they are a fledgling. They are in no need of rescue! If they have a weak grasp or are unable to stay upright, they are likely a nestling. Try to locate their nest before you try to rescue them.^{[4]
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4
Check for injuries. The bird may be stunned from an injury. If the bird flew into your window or is found paralyzed on the ground, there is a chance that they are in shock. Birds can recover from shock with rest.^{[5]
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- If the bird is alive but unmoving, be aware that they may be suffering from a blood clot or concussion. They require quiet rest in a dark location to recover. Handle them carefully as you remove them.
- If they have a broken wing or leg, avoid touching it as you handle them. Call an avian vet immediately.
5
Cut free any entanglement. If the bird is injured because of entanglement with a rope, line, or cord, you should hold the bird still as you cut free the bindings. Keep a hold down on the bird's wings. Otherwise, the bird may flail as you try to save it, causing injury to both yourself and the bird.^{[6]
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Pick up the bird. Use a towel or wear gloves while handling wild birds. When rescuing an orphaned or stunned bird, you should cup your hands around them and hold them upright, so that they can breathe. Gently hold together, but do not squeeze, their wings.^{[7]
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- While small songbirds can be handled with a towel, birds of prey, such as hawks or owls, should be handled wearing thick leather gloves. Be extremely aware of their beaks and talons. If you are inexperienced with these types of birds, you may want to call animal control or a wild bird rehabilitation center to rescue the bird for you.^{[8]
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7
Place in the bird in a towel-lined box. A pet carrier can also work for these purposes. The box should be ventilated so that the bird can breathe; you can poke holes in the box to provide air. Place the box in a warm, dark place. If the bird is injured, he may simply need rest to recover from the shock. Check on the bird every half hour.
- Do not bring adult birds into your house. You may keep the box outside in a safe place where dogs and cats cannot reach it. You may also want to keep the box far enough away from the noise of the house or road.
- If the bird has recovered from its shock after an hour or two, you may re-release the bird back into the wild. Open the box or carrier away from your house, and let him fly away. If the bird does not recover, he may need further care. Consult a vet or a wild bird rehabilitation center.^{[9]
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Call a rehabilitation center immediately. It is illegal in most areas for unlicensed individuals to care for wild birds, especially native or migratory birds. If the bird is an injured adult, you will not be able to care for the bird without the advice of a wild bird specialist. Call your local game warden or search the internet for your local wild bird sanctuary. They will be able to provide advice on injured wild birds.^{[10]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Feeding Wild Birds

1
Feed adult birds only if necessary. With adults, it is advised that you do not feed the bird at all, especially if you are uncertain of its species or its dietary requirements. Furthermore, if injured, it may not be able to handle solid foods. If you must feed the bird and are absolutely positive that it can handle solid foods, be sure to locate the appropriate food for their species. Consult a vet or wild bird center for advice.
- Insect eaters can be fed mealworms or small crickets but not thick worms (like earthworms) or ants.
- Seed eaters can be fed a fortified mix, such as a fortified cockatiel seed mix.
- Fruit eaters can be fed berries or diced fruits. Be sure to cut it up for them.^{[11]
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2
Find appropriate food for baby birds. Nestlings require soft foods. In the wild, chicks would be fed regurgitated foods by their parents. You can replicate this by feeding the bird wet canned dog or cat food. You can also soak dry dog or cat food in water to make it mushy.
- Baby bird formula may be available at your local pet store.
- Do not feed your chick birdseed, sugar water, or bread. These are extremely unhealthy for baby birds and may result in the chick becoming malnourished.^{[12]
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Use a syringe for unfeathered baby birds. Nestlings will need to be fed with a syringe. Feeding syringes can be found at your local pet store or at a drug store in the baby section. Fill the syringe with wet canned dog, cat, or jars of mushy baby food (preferably fruit).^{[13]
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Research source} Make sure not to shove the eye dropper down the chick's throat. It could choke them.
- If you cannot find a feeding syringe, you can also use a toothpick. Skewer the food on the pick. Be careful not to stab the chick as you feed it.^{[14]
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4
Feed often. Baby birds will eat every fifteen to twenty minutes from dawn to dusk. When hungry, they should call for you with an open mouth. Do not feed them until they exhibit this behavior. At night, the baby birds may not call for food; this is normal.^{[15]
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Research source} That said, if you have a bird under a week old, it may call for food every few hours in the night. You may feed the bird again if this happens.^{[16]
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- The bird’s crop (or bottom of their throat) may expand as they eat. This is normal. As you feed the bird, don’t fill the crop entirely. Their swallowing reflex will start when food reaches their crop. The bird should stop when full.^{[17]
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- Do not give babies water. Chicks will absorb water from the food they eat. By giving them water, you may be inadvertently filling their lungs instead of their stomach. This can cause death.
5
Wean them off the syringe once they start moving around. As your chick grows, you will notice it is beginning to sprout feathers and move around its shelter. It is entering the fledgling period of its growth. At this point, a varied diet is important.
- For insect eaters, you can introduce bugs such as mealworms or crickets, which can be bought at a local pet store.^{[18]
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- Seed eaters can start eating spew millet or seeds that have been soaked until they sprout. After a few days, you can add seed, nuts, and pellets to the mix.^{[19]
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- If the bird is a fruit eater, you can start them on baby food jars of fruit before moving on to diced berries and fruits.^{[20]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Sheltering Wild Birds

1
Place birds in a box, not a cage. Wild birds are not domesticated like house birds. A cage may alarm them, and they can injure themselves in an attempt to escape. Ventilated boxes lined with towels are actually best for birds, especially adult birds who have lived in the wild their whole lives. The dark calms them, and the enclosed space gives them a sense of protection against predators. Make sure you poke air holes in the box.
- Remember this will only a temporary solution for keeping birds. The end goal to caring for wild birds is to reintroduce them into the wild, not to keep them as pets.
2
Place their shelter in a dark, quiet place. Birds will be quiet as they recover so do not be alarmed if they do not sing or chirp in the box. In fact, the quieter their shelter, the better it will be for their healing.^{[21]
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- If the bird is an adult, you should keep the box outside as far away from the house as possible.
- Baby birds should be kept close to you for constant supervision. You may choose to keep them inside or outside. If you do choose to leave their shelter outside, make sure that they remain close to the house, and give them an insulated shelter for warmth and protection.
3
Keep the bird warm. Especially if the bird you have rescued is a baby, you will want to keep the bird warm. There are a few methods you can use to warm a bird bed. If the bird is an adult, it may only need towels and grass shavings for warmth. If the bird is an unfeathered chick, it will need a more substantial source of warmth.^{[22]
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- You can pour warm water in a bottle and wrap it in paper towels. You may also want to put paper towels around the bird so that this doesn't burn them. This is a good option if you are keeping the bird outside.
- Alternatively, you may make a bed of towels or old t-shirts in a pet carrier. Place the bird inside. Leave a heating pad beneath the carrier on throughout the day and night. The heating pad should warm the entire carrier.^{[23]
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  Research source} This is ideal if you are keeping the bird inside.
4
Allow the bird plenty of rest. If it curls up and isn't moving, it's not dead! It's sleeping, and this bird needs to sleep. It will tell you when it's awake and hungry again. Make sure you stay nearby when they're sleeping; they will need your absolute attention when they wake up.
5
Give baby birds space to move as they become fledglings. After a few weeks, you will notice the bird has sprouted more feathers. The bird will also start flapping its wings and shuffling around on its own. It is becoming a fledgling. It is extremely important in this stage that the bird has room to move around as it will be learning to fly. Supervise the bird carefully but give him room to move.
- To ensure successful reintroduction into wild, take the chick outside once or twice a day. Hold the nestling in your hands, and if they try to fly off, don’t stop them. This exercise will strengthen their muscles and help them learn to fly. As time goes by, they will fly away for farther distances and longer periods of time but may still return for feedings.^{[24]
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- To prevent injury inside the home, you can teach the fledgling to avoid mirrors and windows. Hold the bird up to the glass and allow them to poke their beak against it. Do this repeatedly to teach the bird to avoid these as they learn to fly.^{[25]
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Community Q&A

Question

Is there anything else we can feed the birds?

Community Answer

Depending on the species, the bird's diet can vary from earthworms and insects to seeds and other vegetarian options. Look up your species online or call your local wildlife rescue people to help you identify the bird and figure out the best diet.
Question

Should you bathe the bird or not?

Community Answer

Generally, you should not bathe a wild bird unless it is covered in a foreign substance (such as oil). Some birds are bathing species, however. You can provide them a bowl of water, and they will bathe themselves in it.
Question

I just found 3 baby birds that have no feathers. How do I heat them, so they will be warm?

Community Answer

You can put a heat pack under a blanket or something, and put them on it.

Warnings

Don't feed the bird human food. That could cause it to die.

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Don't stick him under the faucet, to give him a drink of water. The bird will gag and probably die.

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Don't pry his beak open, as you may get bit.

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Don't throw the bird, to make it fly. If it can't fly, don't try to make it fly in any way.

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In most areas, it is illegal to care for wild birds on your own without a license. Your care for the wild bird should be a temporary solution, either until it is well enough to fly away on its own or you locate a local wild bird rehabilitation center. You may also try calling local game wardens or animal control to locate an appropriate center.^{[26]
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