![]() ![]() Although you saved him, this bird could have easily died ( I have seen it happen many times). A good meal at most was what this hummer needed, and you could possibly have simply warmed her up in your hands and he would have been fine. On "very cold" mornings it may take a little bit longer for them to wake up. Hummingbirds use so much energy that when they sleep, they must enter a period of semi-hibernation. This hummingbird may not have needed rescue at all, certainly not for as long a time as you kept him. Many rescued birds are simply fledglings learning how to fly, and when they are taken away from their parents they will probably die. The majority of birds that people try to rescue die because either people don't know how to care for them or they were rescued when they did not need to be. If you find a wild bird that you think is ill/injured you should ALWAYS call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, ask their advice, and take it in if they say it needs care. If they appear sluggish well into the day, call a local wildlife rehab centre, or even contact Professor Doctor Karl Schuchmann of Museum Koenig, a world-reknowned hummingbird specialist.Īlthough it is great that you managed to save this hummingbird, you should probably be aware that it is illegal to keep a wild bird in the US. The best thing to do would be to leave the hummingbird in a safe place outdoors and keep an eye on them rather than try to nurse them back to health. If they become overheated (over 40☌) during and while coming out of torpor, it can kill them - they use up the little energy reserve they have to cool themselves down, and cannot survive to feed themselves. She was most likely coming out of torpor, a kind of overnight hibernation that some very small birds go through, which made her sluggish and slow to respond. Juvenile hummingbirds have a brown patch on the back of their head and neck, which fades as they age. ![]() The bird you rescued, by the way, is an adult female. ![]() ![]() Feeding them only hummingbird nectar is perfectly okay. Their digestive organs are not designed to break down large amounts of proteins (which make up only 5% of their diet), and are instead designed for carbohydrates which come from the nectar they consume. It was high enough for about a 30 degree glide path over the house and down to the front lawn where I found Heidi that first day.Īlthough it's commendable to rescue birds, please, please do not feed hummingbirds any kind of protein or protein replacements. This debunks the "Momma bird won't take back babies that have been touched by people" myth. Over the next hour Heidi was escorted by her mom, in a series of small flights, back up to the nest in the redwood. Within 15 seconds, the mom was catching gnats (bugs) from a convenient nearby swarm and feeding them to Heidi. Something about "You've been giving her too much sugar and you're going to rot her beak off." We reached into the cage, picked Heidi up and put her on the top (outside) of the cage. On the 6th or 7th day we brought her cage outside for some evening fresh air and 30 seconds later her mom zooms down from the redwood tree and starts chittering excitedly at us. This practice helped her build strength and endurance. I let her practice flying in the house like an insect fluttering up the wall and slowly back down, coming to rest in the the palm of my hand. She liked to sit on my shoulder pretending she was a parrot and I was her pirate/mobile perch. We named her Heidi (since she was "hiding" in the lawn). We took it in and hand fed it for a week 10-15 times/day. But as night was falling I had to do something. I knew the myths, "If you touch it the mom won't take it back", etc. The week started as I was mowing the lawn and found a smaller baby in the grass, not able to fly. Our first baby hummingbird rescue (10 years ago) ended successfully after a week with an amazing reunion. ![]()
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