Last updated on October 15th, 2022 at 03:03 pm
Baby birds are quite vulnerable to the elements, even when they’re being cared for by attentive parents. So what happens when a baby bird loses its mother?
A baby bird can survive without its mother if it’s old enough to be considered a fledgling, with feathers to keep it warm. The father bird will provide enough food in the absence of a mother, but he won’t take on the task of keeping a very young brood warm.
Why Baby Birds Can Survive Without Their Mothers
Baby birds are highly dependent on their parents for survival; they keep them warm, fed, and safe from predators until they’re old enough to take care of themselves.
But if the mother disappears, either due to death or abandonment, the babies still have a chance to survive.
If a nestling’s mother disappears, the father bird will care for the young until they’re fully fledged.
He’ll keep them protected from predators and continue bringing food for as long as they need it.
However, a father bird cannot incubate eggs or care for very young hatchlings.
So baby birds can only survive without their mother when they’re a little older, have feathers, and regulate their temperature without an incubator.
One of the most common causes of death for young birds who have lost their mothers is hypothermia.
This happens when the birds aren’t incubated in the early phases of life.
What Happens to Orphaned Baby Birds?
If a baby bird loses both of its parents, its chances of survival are slim to none. Nestlings are very dependent on their parents.
They may only survive if fledglings from an older brood raised by the same parents help the babies stay warm and access food.
In general, baby birds have a low survival rate: just 30-40% of broods will survive each season, largely due to predation.
Take away the protection and care of a mother bird or both parent birds, and the result will almost definitely be death.
How Long a Baby Bird Can Survive Without Food
Nestlings can survive 24 hours without food.
They rely on both parents to bring food to the nest, so if one of the parents dies, they can still count on the widow or widower to continue feeding them.
However, if both parents die or the nestlings are abandoned, they risk starvation.
Should You Feed an Abandoned Baby Bird?
In most cases, you shouldn’t feed an abandoned baby bird. Doing so can cause the food to ferment in the crop if the bird is dehydrated or debilitated in some way.
It’s also very easy to serve an inappropriate type, size, or amount of food to a baby bird.
Take these steps if you find an abandoned baby bird:
- Make sure that the nestling has truly been abandoned. Watch the nest for two hours straight, keeping an eye out for a parent that might flit quickly in and out of the nest with food.
- Contact a professional wildlife rehabilitator, then follow their instructions. They may recommend that you leave the birds alone while you wait for help, or they may recommend that you move on to Step 3, which is to care for the bird.
- Put the young bird or birds in a small box lined with a cloth to conserve heat. Keep the box away from stressors like predators or extreme temperature changes.
- If a wildlife rehabilitator cannot get to the birds within a day, consider feeding the birds. Insect-eating birds like bluebirds will respond well to chopped mealworms, which you can find at most pet stores. You can also try offering flies, grasshoppers, crickets, moths, or egg whites dusted with calcium citrate.
Why You Shouldn’t Touch a Bird’s Nest
Touching a bird’s nest can make vulnerable young even more vulnerable.
Human touch won’t cause the parents to desert the nest, as the myth would suggest, but it’ll cause them to temporarily fly away.
Thus, leaving the young vulnerable to predators and the elements for a time.
Approaching a nest with fledglings can also cause them to fledge prematurely and then die.
If you want to keep an eye on a bird’s nest or check a nesting box, make sure that you take a different route to and from the nest.
A dead-end trail that lands at the nest may attract predators.
Why You Shouldn’t Incubate Wild Bird Eggs
Eggs that appear abandoned will likely be revisited by their parents in due time. Be patient as you watch nests, knowing that incubation isn’t a 24/7 job.
Additionally, taking native bird eggs from the wild for any reason without a federal license is against the law per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
This is a legal provision that affects all territories in the United States, Mexico, Japan, Russia, and Canada.
Only a licensed wildlife rehabilitator can take, possess, or transport wild eggs unless they belong to a non-native species.
This is a good thing because hatching eggs yourself can be very difficult, and it requires knowledge of specific temperature and humidity needs and a consistent turning schedule.
Touching wild bird eggs and nests also introduces the risk that you’ll contract a disease or pick up parasites.
Diseases Spread by Touching Birds and Bird Nests
Handling young birds, eggs, and their nests is dangerous for the birds and for you.
Bird nests, droppings, and dander all carry pathogens or parasites that threaten humans when touched or breathed in.
The diseases spread by handling contaminated birds, nests, or eggs include:
- Histoplasmosis
- Candidiasis
- Cryptococcosis
- St. Louis Encephalitis
- Salmonellosis
- E.coli
Altogether, there are over 60 diseases that can spread from birds to humans; these are just the most common and the most severe.
Parasites That Live in Bird Nests
If a bird abandons its nest, it makes way for other hosts to take over the nest. Bird nest materials make a great home for ectoparasites looking for a host.
The following are parasites that live in and spread through bird nests:
- Bird mites
- Sticktight fleas
- Fowl ticks
- Bedbugs
- Bat bugs
- Chiggers
- Carpet beetles
- Cloth moths
- Spider beetles
When these parasites contact a host, they can spread countless different diseases and create a lot of discomfort.
See also our article on how long baby birds stay with their mother.