Bird Tales

Hummingbirds

If you find an injured or orphaned hummingbird, don't pick it up. Hummingbirds never use their legs or feet for walking, only grasping a perch. If you try to pick them up you will probably pull off their tiny legs without even knowing it. If you find a hummingbird on the ground, scoop up what he is siting on along with him. If he is in a tree, snip the twig he is perched on and place both bird and twig in a shoe box on crumpled tissue. Put a few pencil sized holes in the cover, cover the box and keep in a warm, quiet place. Call an animal professional as soon as possible. Specialized care and diet are required for captive raised hummingbirds.

If you find an injured or orphaned hummingbird, don't pick it up. Hummingbirds never use their legs or feet for walking, only grasping a perch. If you try to pick them up you will probably pull off their tiny legs without even knowing it. If you find a hummingbird on the ground, scoop up what he is siting on along with him. If he is in a tree, snip the twig he is perched on and place both bird and twig in a shoe box on crumpled tissue. Put a few pencil sized holes in the cover, cover the box and keep in a warm, quiet place. Call an animal professional as soon as possible. Specialized care and diet are required for captive raised hummingbirds.

• Don't disturb the nest in any way. The mother may feel threatened by your presence and not return. Don't touch the nest, you may damage it. Don't go near it for a closer look. View from a distance.
• Don't assume that because you haven't seen the mother in an hour or so that something has happened to her. As her babies mature, the longer she'll be gone between feedings. When she does come in for a feeding, she can do the job in less than five seconds.
• If you find an orphaned hummingbird, don't try to feed it. They require a special diet of tiny insects, not sugar water or the hummingbird feeder mix found in stores.