-- HUMMINGBIRD Q & A --
Baby Hummingbirds #1

• In general, the best answer to this question is "Leave baby birds alone." If a baby hummingbird already has feathers, it's probably time for it to leave the nest; even though it may not yet be a strong flyer, it has to learn somehow and handling it is not going to help in that endeavor. Besides, parent birds of most species--including female hummingbirds--typically continue to feed a premature fledgling if it leaves or falls out of the nest.
• Unlike small mammals that typically abandon their young after being touched by a human, hummingbirds apparently have no sense of smell and have no way of knowing that you've handled a baby, so you can try putting a young hummingbird back in its nest. (Nonetheless, do NOT handle chicks unnecessarily!) If the nest can't be reached or has blown down in a storm, try placing the young hummingbird in a shrub or tree well above ground level and away from neighborhood cats and dogs.
• If a baby hummingbird has fledged but is exhausted or has fallen from the nest and you have it in hand, you might try to feed it before releasing it or placing it back in the nest. Instructions for how to do this are under "Injured Hummingbirds."
• If a baby hummingbird is naked or mostly unfeathered and has fallen from a nest, we suggest you let nature take its course and do nothing. At first this may seem dispassionate, but all baby hummingbirds will not survive, and one that is out of the nest too soon may be defective in some way.
• Don't be alarmed if a mother hummingbird is away from the nest for extended periods--especially as the chicks get older. Often it may appear that the female has abandoned the nest when, in reality, she is feeding and/or watching the nestlings from a distance and visiting for just a few seconds several times per hour. If the chicks are hunkered down in the nest they likely are healthy; if they're really hungry they tend to make noise and/or appear restless.
• Hand-raising a baby hummingbird is difficult an is best left to professionals; contact your local wildlife rehabilitator for further instructions. A list of rehabilitators in the United States, Canada, and some other countries is at: http://wildliferehabinfo.org .

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