Hello Everybody! S.O.S. help me get him to eat from plate

[ClaudiaMaria]

I found a dying baby bird on my roof and I feed him and brought him back to life. Cutest thing...BUT, it is fully feathered now and flying but this mama´s boy won´t eat from anything other than my fingers...I have tried to make him see the food is RIGHT THERE on the bottom of the cage, all he has to do is come down and..hello? EAT! oh no, he rather starve it seems, he just sits there and waits for me to come back... even if it has been a few hours...please tell me how to do this.
Thank you.

 

[danceswithronin]

What kind of baby bird is it? If it's an insectivorous species (like swallow or robin) you'll want to transition him over to live (or at least dying) foods like earthworms, mealworms, crickets with the legs ripped off, etc... if it's a seed-eater like a finch you'll want to gradually transition from a wet seed mash to dry seed.

Also if he is still fledging, he may be still at the stage where he expects to be fed by you. Mother robins for example will feed their fledglings for 1-2 weeks after they've left the nest and are making short flights/hopping around in the grass. So eventually you'll have to prolong the periods of time between when you feed him in order to encourage him to feed himself. Live foods can help with that too, and stir a hunting instinct.

 

[staceyj]

You may want to call a local wildlife center for help.

 

[danceswithronin]

You may want to call a local wildlife center for help.

Agreed. Unfortunately in my state no wildlife rehabilitators will even take songbirds, and many other species - foxes, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, etc... - are illegal to rehabilitate due to rabies control protocols. Many species of songbirds are also illegal to keep in captivity in the United States due to the Migratory Bird Act of 1918.

So with the clutch of barn swallows I've (illegally) had the past two weeks, I was pretty much on my own. Successfully fledged seven of them so far though.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock!
Sorry I can't not help with your current situation but wish you luck.
This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

Coop Ideas:
Chicken Coops

BYC has an APP

 

[Coop de Grass]

I found a dying baby bird on my roof and I feed him and brought him back to life. Cutest thing...BUT, it is fully feathered now and flying but this mama´s boy won´t eat from anything other than my fingers...I have tried to make him see the food is RIGHT THERE on the bottom of the cage, all he has to do is come down and..hello? EAT! oh no, he rather starve it seems, he just sits there and waits for me to come back... even if it has been a few hours...please tell me how to do this.
Thank you.

Nice work! You could try the Cornell website. They would be where I would look. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1478
Good luck, and please keep us posted!

 

[ClaudiaMaria]

What kind of baby bird is it? If it's an insectivorous species (like swallow or robin) you'll want to transition him over to live (or at least dying) foods like earthworms, mealworms, crickets with the legs ripped off, etc... if it's a seed-eater like a finch you'll want to gradually transition from a wet seed mash to dry seed.

Also if he is still fledging, he may be still at the stage where he expects to be fed by you. Mother robins for example will feed their fledglings for 1-2 weeks after they've left the nest and are making short flights/hopping around in the grass. So eventually you'll have to prolong the periods of time between when you feed him in order to encourage him to feed himself. Live foods can help with that too, and stir a hunting instinct.

 

[ClaudiaMaria]

THANK YOU all so much. I think he is a Goldfinch, he has a grayish back with spotted wings and a yellowish belly. He seems very interested in insects indeed, but again, will just open his mouth expecting the insect to also feel sorry for him and jump right into it. I am wondering if he just needs to mature more, you know? He seems big to me compared to where he was but maybe he is just an infant indeed.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I found a dying baby bird on my roof and I feed him and brought him back to life. Cutest thing...BUT, it is fully feathered now and flying but this mama´s boy won´t eat from anything other than my fingers...I have tried to make him see the food is RIGHT THERE on the bottom of the cage, all he has to do is come down and..hello? EAT! oh no, he rather starve it seems, he just sits there and waits for me to come back... even if it has been a few hours...please tell me how to do this.
Thank you.

You may want to call a local wildlife center for help.

x2

 

[Coop de Grass]

THANK YOU all so much. I think he is a Goldfinch, he has a grayish back with spotted wings and a yellowish belly. He seems very interested in insects indeed, but again, will just open his mouth expecting the insect to also feel sorry for him and jump right into it. I am wondering if he just needs to mature more, you know? He seems big to me compared to where he was but maybe he is just an infant indeed.

Gold finches love niger seed. This looks like a good link! http://animals.mom.me/how-to-feed-an-american-goldfinch-baby-bird-12307846.html