You have the absolute best of intentions when trying to help birds in your yards or neighbourhoods. Feeding them seeds and nuts is a great way to help. Water is a trickier thing.
It can be a kindness to set a bowl of water out for birds you're caring for, but force-feeding them water with spoons or by a syringe is a dangerous idea that can kill the bird. Young birds are not capable of searching for water on their own until they are old enough to fly. They are also not equipped to handle large amounts of water poured down their throats. (They don't have well enough developed muscles to control how much water they take in.)
Young birds actually get most of their hydration from fruit and insects until they are old enough to find and drink water on their own.
(Image via Josie Weiss on Unsplash)
If you find a baby bird that cannot fly and is out of its nest, you can:
Find or make a safe place for it - such as an enclosed box that has a lot of air flow.
Offer it water in a small, shallow cup, or something cup - such as a bottle cap, or plastic tray. This gives the bird the option to drink if it's old enough and capable to drink on its own.
Provide bird-appropriate meals. If you're worried about water intake, you can soften pet food (dog or cat) with water, or offer high water content foods (such as juicy creepies and crawlies, and smooshed fruit like watermelon and strawberries)
As a last resort, you can soak a cotton swab in water and place it within the bird's reach - the bird will be able to navigate that. If it doesn't touch the water, don't force it. (It's also possible a bird is tired, stressed, scared, or hurt.)
The best way to make sure any bird is getting water is to make sure it's available for the bird to find on its own. If you're worried, the safest way to make sure the bird you're caring for has enough water is to add it to its food.
(Image via Jennifer Uppendahl on Unsplash)
How much water a bird needs and how often to offer it water depends on its age, breed, and size. If it's an older juvenile, it's more likely that it can drink on its own and will do just fine with water left in a dish. If it's still a small bird with feathers coming in, it will need watered food every few hours while it waits to be seen by a veterinarian, or taken in by a rescue centre with the knowledge and ability to appropriately care for it.
When in doubt, ask! Please do not hesitate to send a message to Good Caws Crow Rescue via Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. We are happy help with questions you have about bird care while you're waiting for us to pick up, or for your feathered friend to see a vet.
(Image via Isabel Cuasace on Unsplash.)
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