Have you found yourself in a precarious situation and need to know how to care for a baby blue jay? There are specific things you need to know. These precious birds can be quite delicate. When the baby is separated from the mother, it can prove to be an uphill battle for survival.
What’s interesting to note is that these hatchlings easily get attached to their caretakers. You may not have a hard time asking the baby blue jay to cooperate as you try to care for it. However, rehabilitating birds is a job for professionals. Contact the experts if you have found a young bird out of its nest in the wild.
Do you need some advice as to what to do for a baby blue jay? Read on to learn more about what you can do to help a baby bird.
Table of Contents
What NOT To Feed Baby Birds
There is a reason why some places make it illegal to feed some wild, endangered birds – some people simply do not know that some food is lethal for these creatures. This list includes milk, commercial bird food, whole seeds, earthworms, bread, and any leftover food from your cooking activities. These can overwhelm the bird’s system and can cause unexpected health problems.
Another important tip is that they should not be fed anything that has been heated or chilled. Food served at room temperature is ideal.
What To Feed A Baby Blue Jay
It’s an unfortunate reality that some baby birds fall out of their nests and are left defenseless against a rough world. They are almost never ready to handle the rough life outside of their mother’s help. As an emergency measure, you need to know the best way to bring up these animals as they were meant to be taken care of.
If you are in a position where you need to assist and help baby blue jays, then you must be aware of specific things. This includes what they should and should not eat. You might want to mimic the diet of blue jays which live out in the wild, as compared to the commercial products that house-bound pets usually abide by.
Read more about Blue Jays Favorite Food For Birdwatching
The Creepy Crawly Diet
Insects are a big part of the aviary diet, and this is actually where baby birds get their protein and even hydration. Remember that many bugs are still too big to be fed to babies, and they need to be ground up to a suitable size.
The Nut And Seed Diet
Nuts and seeds are a staple food for birds. However, they are too hard and too big for babies to consume. Make sure that you chop these ingredients in pieces that are manageable for the baby bird to eat, checking their body size as a guide to see what they can gulp down.
The Berry Diet
You can also feed the bird some fresh berries. Do not feed the bird the kind that has been bought from the supermarket. These items could already have come in contact with some insecticides or preservatives.
How To Feed A Baby Blue Jay
In the cartoons, we always see how mother birds feed their young, all cooped up in the same nest. However, very young birds have delicate internals and you will have to take note of them as you prepare to feed. While you don’t have to chew up food and regurgitate them for your young (at least we hope you aren’t!), here are some methods to take up in order to make sure the baby blue jay is able to get the nutrition that they need.
The Food Dropper Method
Using a food dropper meant for human babies you can administer liquids and food to the baby blue jay. The dropper can be plastic or glass. You just have to make sure that they have a size that is manageable for feeding the baby and dispenses droplets that are small enough for them to swallow.
When feeding, you should also remember not to force the drops or food down the baby’s throat. Be patient and space out the doses that you give the bird. It might take a lot of time and effort, but this makes sure that the digestive system is not overwhelmed. We need to deliver healthy food into their stomach in a safe and efficient manner.
The Smoothie Method
Much like creating smoothies for humans, you can blend together the food you intend to give the baby bird. You don’t even need a blender or a food processor to complete this method. It’s enough to use a little physical effort to grind up the diet. You can even soften it with a little water to make it more accessible for the baby.
Do Baby Birds Need Water?
We see bird feeders and birdbaths being park staples. Do we need to install such items when we are attempting to nurse a baby blue jay back to health?
Baby birds definitely need hydration as they grow up. However, they need to get their hydration in different methods. They usually get their water from the bugs that they eat. This is enough to keep them hydrated as chicks or babies. When they grow up to be adults, they run on internally produced metabolic water.
Conclusion
Taking care of a baby blue jay is a manageable task, as long as you take the time to research the right way to approach caring and feeding. It also helps to make their experience as natural as possible for the bird, so that there is no alienation of the baby as much as possible.
Also, rehabilitating baby birds, especially if they are of a wild, endangered species, should be left to the experts. If you have come across a baby bird and would like to help in the best way possible, contact the local authorities. The professionals will instruct you and take the bird to proper care. As an amateur, you are liable to do more harm than good.
Have you ever administered aid to birds or other kinds of animals? How did you fare? Let us know about your experience in the comments below!
