What Can An Orphaned Wild Bird Eat?
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A young soft-billed bird, such as a warbler or catbird, may be given grated carrots, chopped hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, fresh fruit, or custard. A young hard-billed bird, such as a sparrow or finch, may be given the same food or a mixture of dry baby cereal and the yolk of a hard-boiled egg moistened with milk. Rape (a plant that's a member of the mustard family), millet, and sunflower seeds should be added to this diet when the hard-billed bird becomes well developed.
An orphaned songbird needs to be fed every 20 minutes during daylight hours for several weeks. The food should be placed deep in its throat.
Sources: Cruickshank, Allan D. 1001 Questions Answered About Birds, p. 274; McElroy, Thomas P. The New Handbook of Attracting Birds, p. 194.
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