Wild birds can be taught to eat from your hand.
People have always been fascinated by birds. Watching them take to the air was what inspired us to learn to fly. Touching the lives of birds allows us, in part, to partake of the sky the way they do. What more intimate way to gain a rapport with a bird than to have it take food from your hand? From wild pigeons to baby birds you raise yourself, having a bird eat from your hand is an experience not quite like any other. The following instructions are for teaching adult, wild birds to eat from your hand, and for feeding baby birds you raise yourself.
Instructions
Feeding Wild Adult Birds by Hand
1. Fill the bird feeder at the same time early each morning.
Install a bird feeder in a quiet place in your yard. Fill the feeder at the same time early each morning with a wild bird mixture, obtainable at any pet store. Birds wake up hungry, so the earlier you fill the feeder, the better. After a few days the local birds will come to expect this free meal and will show up at the right time. Include some chopped nuts or sunflower seeds, as these are coveted treats for birds.
2. Remain about 15 to 20 feet from the feeder while the birds eat. Stand quietly and be careful not to make any sudden moves. Speaking will not disturb the birds, and they will come to associate your voice with feeding time. Move about a foot closer every morning until you are able to stand beside the feeder without affecting the birds' willingness to eat.
3. With patience, wild birds can be taught to take food from your hand.
Place some of the nuts and sunflower seeds on your hand after filling the feeder as usual and hold it out as you remain unmoving. Since the birds will already be used to you they will begin taking the food from your hand.
Feeding Baby Birds by Hand
4. Feeding syringes have a wide opening to allow formula to pass through.
Mix the baby bird hand-feeding formula with warm water until it is the consistency of pudding or gravy. It should be no more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill the feeding syringe with warm formula.
5. Feeding a baby bird can be a bonding experience.
Hold the baby bird gently in one hand or have an assistant gently hold the bird still. Insert the tip of the syringe into the bird's mouth above the tongue toward the left side of its mouth (your right side) to avoid squeezing food into its windpipe. Squeeze the food SLOWLY into the bird's mouth, allowing it to gradually fill its crop. When it stops eating, do not attempt to feed any more formula. Take your time and watch the bird carefully. It needs to stop drinking in order to breathe and if you are still squeezing food into its mouth, it may inhale the food and suffocate.
6. Use an extra soft wash cloth like those made for human babies to clean baby birds.
Clean the baby bird's beak and feathers thoroughly with a soft wash cloth. Baby birds can eat very messily, and dried formula will stick to them and may damage feathers. Dry the bird gently if washing has made it wet. Very young babies do not have their feathers yet and may have difficulty maintaining body heat. Return the baby to its nesting place, ensuring it remains warm and comfortable. Thoroughly clean the feeding syringe to prevent bacterial buildup.
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