What do you feed an abandoned baby hummingbird?

Hummingbirds are beautiful, delicate creatures that captivate us with their glittering colors and energetic flights. While adult hummingbirds are highly independent, baby hummingbirds, or nestlings, require specialized care to survive after being separated from their mothers. Feeding an abandoned baby hummingbird can seem daunting, but with some basic knowledge about their unique dietary needs, you can provide the nutrition the tiny bird needs to thrive.

Why Do Baby Hummingbirds Get Abandoned?

There are a few common reasons why a baby hummingbird may become orphaned or abandoned by its mother:

• The mother is killed by a predator or collision with a window or car
• Severe weather damages the nest or blows the nest out of the tree
• The nest is disturbed by tree trimming, outdoor maintenance, or other human activity
• The mother abandons the nest if the babies are sickly or deformed

Healthy mother hummingbirds do not usually abandon their young voluntarily. But if anything happens to the mother or the nest is compromised, the tiny nestlings can be left helpless, with their survival dependent on human intervention.

Key Principles For Feeding Baby Hummingbirds

Here are some key things to keep in mind when feeding an orphaned baby hummingbird:

• Feed a specialized hummingbird diet – They cannot survive on ordinary sugar water alone and require customized nutritional formulas.
• Use a small syringe – The bird’s mouth is tiny so you need an appropriate sized feeding syringe or dropper.
• Feed every 20-30 minutes from sunrise to sunset – They eat almost constantly, so feedings must be very frequent.
• Avoid overfeeding – Their crop is small so even a little too much can be dangerous.
• Prioritize hydration – Dehydration is the biggest threat, so provide adequate liquids.

Understanding these fundamental principles will help guide your care and feeding approach for the young hummingbird.

Step-By-Step Feeding Guide

Here is a step-by-step overview of how to feed an orphaned baby hummingbird every 20-30 minutes from early morning to dusk:

1. Obtain a complete nutritional formula designed for hummingbirds. This can be purchased online or from a wildlife rehabilitation center. Do not attempt to create one yourself.
2. Fill a small dropper or syringe with the formula. For a newborn, start with 2-4 ml per feeding.
3. Gently pick up the bird, cradling its body in one hand. Stroke its throat with your finger to stimulate swallowing.
4. Place tip of dropper against the bird’s beak. As it starts lapping, slowly squeeze a tiny amount of formula into its mouth, allowing the bird to swallow between drops. Go slowly.
5. Stop feeding when you see formula start filling up in its crop (a bulge under the throat). Do not overfeed.
6. Return the chick to its nest or temporary housing. Keep it warm with a heating pad or lamp.
7. Clean feeding supplies thoroughly. Discard any unused formula.
8. Repeat the feeding process every 20-30 minutes throughout the daylight hours. Hummingbirds must eat frequently!

With some practice and patience, you can provide the intensive feeding schedule an orphaned hummingbird chick requires. Keep the formula properly mixed and focus on small, frequent feedings to help it thrive.

How Much and How Often to Feed

So exactly how much formula should you feed a baby hummingbird and how often? Here are some more detailed guidelines:

Amount Per Feeding

• Days 1-3: 2-4 ml per feeding
• Days 3-7: 4-6 ml per feeding
• Week 2: 6-8 ml per feeding
• Weeks 3-4: 8-10 ml per feeding

Gradually increase the amount as the chick grows. Watch for signs of overfeeding like formula leaking out or a severely distended crop.

Frequency of Feedings

• Days 1-7: Every 20-30 minutes from sunrise to sunset
• Week 2: Every 30 minutes
• Weeks 3-4: Every 45 minutes

Stretch out the feeding schedule slightly as the bird matures, but maintain the frequent feedings needed to sustain their hyperactive metabolism.

Weaning

• By weeks 3-4, start introducing solid foods like small live insects in addition to formula.
• Reduce formula gradually over 2-3 days as the chick starts eating more insects.
• Continue providing supplemental insects until fully weaned off formula, usually by week 4-5.

Weaning is a critical transition period, so go slowly and ensure the hummingbird is eating well and maintaining weight as you decrease the hand-feeding formula.

What to Feed Baby Hummingbirds

Baby hummingbirds need a nutritionally balanced formula with adequate protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals to properly develop. Here are some feeding formula options:

Commercial Hummingbird Diet

There are specialized hummingbird feeding formulas available from zoos, wildlife rehabilitators, and online retailers. Some brand names include:

• Kaytee Exact Hand-Feeding Formula
• Hagens Hand-Rearing Food
• Lafeber’s Emeraid Hummingbird & Oriole Food

These provide complete balanced nutrition tailored specifically for hummingbirds. Follow package instructions for mixing and feeding.

Homemade Diet Recipes

If commercial diets are not available, you can make homemade hummingbird formula using these basic recipes:

Basic Nectar Recipe

• 1 part white granulated sugar
• 4 parts water
• Pinch of electrolyte powder or salt substitute

Boil to dissolve sugar completely and cool before feeding.

Fortified Insect Diet

• 2 parts homemade nectar
• 1 part pureed insects (mealworms, soft-bodied crickets, fly larvae)
• Baby cereal or cornmeal for thickness
• Powdered vitamins and minerals

Blend ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate unused portions. Feed warm.

Consult wildlife rehabilitators before attempting to create homemade diets. The ingredients and proportions must be carefully balanced.

Transitioning to Insects

Around 2-3 weeks old, hummingbird chicks can start transitioning from formula to solid foods:

• Tiny live insects like fruit flies, small mealworms, gnats
• Chopped flies, larvae, moths, spiders, aphids
• Mashed bees, ants, small crickets
• Insectivore diet blends

Continue the hand or dropper feedings of formula as you gradually introduce live insects. This will support the transition to self-feeding.

Housing for Baby Hummingbirds

Proper housing is vital for the survival and development of orphaned hummingbird chicks. Here are some tips:

• Incubator or brooder – Keep chick in a small enclosed space heated to 80-90°F with a padded bottom.
• Nest – Can use a substitute like a basket or hanging cup lined with soft cloth.
• Habitat cage – As bird grows, use an escape-proof mesh cage for mobility.
• Outdoor aviary – Before release, allow bird to practice flying in a protected outdoor space.

Ensure the housing is safe, secure, climate controlled, and keeps the rapidly growing chick contained as feathers start to develop.

Transitioning to Self Feeding

As baby hummingbirds mature, you can encourage foraging skills with these tactics:

• Add twigs and leaves to indoor habitat for exploring.
• Provide dangling flowers with diluted nectar for practice drinking.
• Allow short supervised time outside to hunt insects.
• Place buzzing insects like fruit flies inside habitat to catch.
• Set up a nectar feeder near outdoor housing for test flights.

The goal is gradual exposure to flowers, insects, and feeding in natural settings so the young hummingbird builds confidence and ability to independently meet its needs.

Determining When a Baby Hummingbird is Ready for Release

Deciding when to release a rehabilitated hummingbird chick back to the wild takes some careful consideration. In general, aim for these benchmarks before letting it go:

• Fully feathered and able to fly well
• Confidently feeding on its own from flowers and insects
• No sign of further injuries or illness
• Has waterproofed its feathers
• Able to perch, grasp, hover, and control flight

Ideally, the release should occur in the spring or summer when abundant food sources are available. Avoid winter releases or migration seasons when the strenuous journey could be too much.

A vet exam or consultation with wildlife experts can help confirm if the young hummingbird’s development, weight, and skills are sufficient for surviving in the wild.

Finding an Appropriate Release Site

When deciding where to set a rehabilitated hummingbird free, look for an area that provides:

• Natural food sources – Flowers, nectar plants, insect populations
• Other hummingbirds – Evidence of native hummingbirds nearby
• Shelter – Trees, vegetation for protection from elements and predators
• Water – Streams, bird baths, rain collectors
• Nesting places – Availability of sites to potentially build a nest later

Ideally the release site will be close to where the bird was originally rescued to improve chances of survival. If that’s not feasible, find a location with ideal habitat.

The Reward of Caring for Baby Hummingbirds

Helping orphaned baby hummingbirds survive and return to the wild is incredibly rewarding. These tiny creatures seem impossibly delicate, yet with proper care, they rapidly grow into their dazzling beauty. Witnessing a hand-raised hummingbird joyously hovering at flowers or energetically darting about is a delight.

While their care is demanding, the payoff is saving an enchanting life. With some fundamental knowledge of their unique needs, you can make all the difference for an abandoned hummingbird chick. Offering these captivating creatures a second chance lets us appreciate the wonders of nature as they flourish and take flight.