In the spring, when most of the birds breed, chicks dropped out under the trees are not uncommon. Little yellow-billed birds look so pathetic that many people begin to torment themselves and take such chicks home: to warm, feed, save.

So, a little sparrow chick fell into your hands. What to feed such a baby? These birds are probably the most common feathered inhabitants of our continent. There is no place where they cannot be found. They are already distinguished by their small size, and even their chicks look completely tiny - it’s scary to breathe on such a person, let alone feed him! But you will have to feed, since he got into your house.

What you can feed First, remember that small chicks - sparrows, tits, larks - eat food in a day with a volume of ¾ of their weight. Naturally, it is best if the bird's diet is based on insects familiar to it: flies, worms, grasshoppers, larvae, bugs. But, of course, getting them is not easy. What else does he eat What to feed him, and what not to? For some reason, in fairy tales, books, films, sparrows are fed with bread. However, this is absolutely not possible. Bakery products can be given to a chick no more than once every two days, and even then only in the form of a crumb soaked in milk. In addition, you can give a little finely chopped raw or boiled meat, steamed cereals or seeds of cereals of milky ripeness, ground in a mortar. Suitable for feeding grated vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, beets), squeezed from excess juice. Also, you can feed the chick with cottage cheese or a boiled egg, as long as the food is unsalted. It is better to add a little crushed chalk or coal to the food (a sparrow chick will be happy with such a seasoning) than to feed it with salty food. Salt should not be given to birds at all!

Since the chick is still small, it must be fed frequently (at least once every two hours). difficult, therefore it is considered that it is difficult to feed the chicks of small birds. Do not forget also that in addition to food in the public domain, the bird should have pure water. Try to get the chick to eat on its own, but if that doesn't work, try giving food by opening its beak with tweezers.

But in general, before leaving the sparrow chick, think: perhaps it is better to leave it where it is? Most often, the so-called fledglings fall out of the nests. These are chicks that cannot yet fly, but have made their first attempt at it. Their parents then try to finish feeding their child already on earth. And if there is not a large population of stray cats and dogs in the area, the probability of surviving such a chick in the wild is much higher than at home. Remember that very often chicks die at home due to improper maintenance or feeding. And if you really want to take part in saving the bird, you might be better off putting a feeder with food where the sparrow's chick is, rather than feeding it at home in a cage. Remember: captive-bred birds die quickly when released into the environment.

Sparrow chicks are often picked out of ignorance of the behavior of fledglings, due to the desire that most people have to help this "poor child". Behavioral features of fledglings are characterized by following their parents and begging for food in a pose typical for a fledgling — crouching on their paws, rapidly flapping their wings and screaming loudly. Although such fledglings fly very well, they may not be afraid of people, which misleads a person. If you see such a yellowmouth, do not worry and do not pay attention to him, as a rule, the parents of the chick are nearby and he does not need help, he did not fall out of the nest, but flew out of it safely.

When to save a fledgling or sparrow chick?

  • If you have taken a chick from a cat or dog, then such a chick must be treated. After cat bites, even if the bird flies, birds develop very serious problems, because bacteria (pasteurella) can normally live on the teeth of cats and dogs, which are pathogenic for birds, causing a particularly dangerous contagious disease pasteurellosis in birds.
  • If you find sparrow chicks of any age covered with ticks, then such a chick in nature will not survive. Therefore, you will most likely be able to help him if you contact a bird doctor and take responsibility and care for the chick.
  • If the nest was destroyed during the construction or repair of the building, then most likely you will be able to save his life by taking him on your own, creating all the conditions that this bird needs.

Photo: Look, this is not a fully feathered sparrow chick; such a chick is outside the nest. If you found such a sparrow, then this means: either the chick was thrown out of the nest, or fell out, or he himself had to leave the nest (this happens when all the older brothers have already fully fledged and left the nest, after which the parent birds cease to participate in life " younger" chick). Photo by:

  • If you find a chick lying on asphalt, concrete, and this chick cannot stand up on its own, then such a chick may have leg fractures and / or internal bleeding. Such chicks should be immediately delivered to the veterinarian, or at least call the bird doctor in order to receive the first instructions on what to do with the chick.

How to help the chicks if the nest is destroyed?

Unfeathered (“naked”) and blind chicks of sparrows are often thrown out of the nest by other birds, and therefore it is useless to return the chicks thrown out by other birds to the nest. This event is usually accompanied by bird fights at the nest, sparrow nests can be occupied by swifts or starlings.

If the chick accidentally fell out (this happens when the grown chicks actively beg for food from their parents), and you see a nest (sparrows fly in there and you can hear the chicks squeaking) - try to return the chick inside the nest. Often this saves the lives of birds.

If you witnessed how a hurricane or a thunderstorm turned over a birdhouse or a titmouse in which sparrows or other birds nested, and the chicks fell out of such a nest, then you can really save the chicks, even if the trouble happened at night, and you only found the chicks in the grass in the morning. Return the birdhouse to former position. If the nest inside the birdhouse is completely destroyed, then simply pour sawdust on the bottom of this birdhouse, or put dry moss (no need to put wet moss) and return the fallen chicks, having previously given them water to drink.

Sparrows, starlings, flycatchers, tits - they do not smell, and from the fact that you took the chicks in your hands - they will not leave their brood.

After that, observe how the parent birds behave:

    • If adult sparrows are not interested in the nest box, and do not even fly up to it, wait three hours and take the chicks for feeding.
    • If sparrows fly up to the nest, respond to the call of the chicks, but do not fly inside - most likely you are scaring the birds. In this case, leave them alone, stay out of sight for a few hours, and they are very likely to return to feeding chicks.

Is it possible to feed very small chicks?

If you find a tiny unfeathered chick, and you don’t see the nest from which it fell out, then such a chick has only one option to survive - if it is provided with competent and timely assistance. It is not difficult to feed a sparrow chick, it can be done even by feeding it only with a boiled egg and minced meat. However, such a chick will not be healthy, it will grow up sick and rickety.

If you live in the countryside and have the time and opportunity to catch insects, everything is much better. The best option is to feed the sparrow with insects: grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, butterflies, caterpillars (caterpillars must be naked; do not give “hairy” caterpillars to sparrow chicks). The main thing is not to forget to water the chick every time after feeding and immediately remove the litter from the nest (it is easy to make a nest in their box, covered with clean napkins).

If you are a city dweller or you do not have the opportunity to spend time in the field, catching grasshoppers and butterflies, then this article on feeding chicks of field and house sparrows will be a useful guide for you.

If you are the owner rehabilitation center, or volunteer at the rescue center wild birds, or you just enthusiastically collect dozens of sparrow chicks at home, then the feeding method described in this article will not work for you, since a large number of chicks requires a completely different professional approach both to the preparation of chicks' diets and to the feeding process.

What should be done immediately after picking up the chick?

First of all, having picked up a sparrow chick of any age, you need to drink it. If the chick does not open its beak and practically does not show signs of life - moisten a brush, cotton swab or your finger with water, and place the drop hanging from the finger / cotton swab in the corner of the closed beak - the drop will be absorbed by itself and the chick will swallow in a few seconds, give about 10 drops of water and call the bird doctor.

How to feed the chick in the first hours of the house?

If the chick actively asks for food: it opens its beak when a person approaches and squeaks loudly or not loudly, and you don’t have food insects at home, then the most versatile option that you can feed almost any chick without harm is not fatty raw, fresh meat. Can be used chopped meat, or scrape with a knife from a frozen piece of meat dust, put it in a shallow saucer and add warm water so that the mass melts quickly. In the same way, you can use frozen fish or minced fish. You can not use lard, and do not use dumpling filling ( real case from practice).

The second universal food that you can feed the chick in the first hours after you brought it home is boiled egg. Hard boil an egg, finely chop the yolk and protein, add a little water, mash, roll a ball the size of 2/3 of the chick's head and put it in its beak. On such an “urgent” diet, a chick can live for a day without harm to itself, but if you continue to feed it only with an egg or only meat, the chick will get sick very quickly.

And now in detail about what needs to be purchased for the full feeding of a sparrow chick:

Special lighting for chicks

In the list of necessary things for feeding chicks, a lamp for birds is indicated. The lamp is necessary because at home the chicks are deprived of sunlight, and without ultraviolet light, the normal development of the chick is impossible, since vitamin D is produced in the skin of birds only in the presence of ultraviolet light, in addition. IMPORTANT! DO NOT USE HARD UV MEDICAL LAMPS. Partially replace sunlight a special lamp for birds will help. Now the best option is the Arcadia birds lamp. Install it in the room where the chick is kept, at a distance of up to 1 meter from the chick. The lamp must be on during all daylight hours. The duration of daylight hours should be at least 10 hours (preferably 12-14). Before turning off the light, the chick must be fed.

Where to keep the chick? Cage, box, nest, basket?

The best option for keeping chicks is a temperature and humidity controlled brooder. Sparrow chicks in a brooder should be kept in a makeshift nest. If there is no brooder, then a “nest is made” and temperature control is carried out either with lamps (the incandescent lamp should not shine directly on the chick) or with water heaters. The nest can be a comfortable bowl lined with paper napkins, or a rope nest for canaries (available at pet stores). It is better to cover small chicks after feeding with another napkin. In this way, heat is retained, a feeding reflex is developed in the chick, and psychological comfort is created for the bird, because sparrows nest in closed spaces.

Do not use hay, straw, pressed sawdust and cat litter as bedding. . Chicks can swallow pellets and this can lead to trouble.

It is impossible to use containers without lining as a nest (even if it is cardboard or wood) - for the reason that without lining, the chick's paws will slide, and the moving of the paws will lead to injury to the joints.

The temperature must be maintained within 32-35 C, humidity 40-45%.

Carefully remove litter from the nest as soon as it appears! The nurse should have a pedantic skill - cleanliness in the nest, the best prevention of chick diseases.

When the chick becomes a fledgling, it gets out of the nest. You can keep such a fledgling either in a large cage, or in an aviary, or simply in a large basket covered with a panel with a mosquito net on top. You can not keep the fledglings in a closed basket or box (light is very important for normal development and molting).

Sparrow chicks grow in closed nests, but they do not grow in the dark. In natural closed nests, chicks receive a lot of scattered ultraviolet radiation, which they are deprived of at home. Photo .

If you keep the chick in a basket, then you need to install perches from branches with bark in it. The perches are placed close to the floor. Feed is placed at the bottom of the cage. Also, a broom made of thin branches with foliage is installed in a basket or in an aviary. Hiding in the branches of bushes and trees is the normal behavior of a fledgling sparrow, so the chicks will hide behind a twig broom.

Hygiene for chicks

When rearing chicks, it is important to keep the nest (box) clean and remove the chick's droppings immediately. Normally, the chick defecates immediately after feeding.

When feeding liquid, smearing food, one should try to prevent food from getting on the feather and in the eyes of the chick. Contamination of the feather with food leads to a violation of the development of the feather (the feather does not open normally or the feather follicle may be damaged). In addition, contamination of the feather with feed creates favorable conditions for the development of secondary bacterial and fungal infections, therefore, feed that has fallen on the feather should be immediately removed with a damp cotton swab or wet wipe. If the feed mixture gets into the eyes, it is necessary to rinse the eyes of the chick with sterile saline.

Calcium for sparrow chicks

Sparrows can get calcium from insects, vegetable feed, kitten food, egg shells and mineral supplements.

In order to prevent the development of rickets, chicks need to be fed a diet containing calcium and phosphorus in a ratio of 2: 1, so you can not feed sparrows for a long time only raw meat or only boiled eggs.

The most accessible source of calcium is chalk (calcium carbonate), food clay, boiled egg shells (eggs must be well boiled so as not to infect the chick with pathogens of infectious diseases of chickens). Chalk, clay or shells are ground in a coffee grinder into dust, and this powder is used to add to the liquid mixture, and for deboning insects, when feeding grown fledglings. I will call this powder conditionally “calcium”.

How to calculate the calcium requirement of a chick?

The literature provides evidence that pure calcium should be 2% of the weight of the daily diet. But for single-fed chicks, it is impossible to adhere to the rule “it is impossible to overdose calcium carbonate” - it is possible, because its excess is excreted from the intestines. Therefore, if you take as a guide the dosage of calcium powder in half a teaspoon per day, then you definitely will not lose.

Can I use parrot formula for sparrow chicks?

Some bird owners use mixtures for feeding parrot chicks to feed chicks of passerines. This is an incorrect methodology, since the nutritional requirements and development of parrot chicks are very different from the rate of development of passerine chicks, and their basic nutritional requirements are very different. Passerine chicks reared on parrot food muscle mass they gain normal, but plumage and bone tissue develop abnormally. The literature mentions that only Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula is suitable for feeding small sparrow chicks. I did not use this mixture, although it is available on the CIS market, but unsuccessfully fed sparrows and other passerine birds with mixtures for parrots from different manufacturers - I meet very often in my practice.

Feeding fledglings from day one

From the first day, a liquid feed mixture is used to feed the non-feathered blind chicks of sparrows.

The composition of the feed mixture for feeding: fodder insects, cottage cheese, pieces of fruit, available berries, dry hamarus or daphnia, children's linex (1 sachet), soaked kitten food, natural yogurt, calcium. Everything is put together in a blender and ground to a liquid state. The mixture is given from a syringe in small portions. Never fill the goiter more than 2/3 of its volume to prevent overdistension of the goiter. For very small chicks, the mixture can be given either with a brush or a pipette - it is important to prevent contamination of the skin and feather of the chick with food.

This mixture does not store well. It spoils quickly because it contains many nutrients, bacterial cultures (yogurt and linex). Therefore, it is important not to make a large volume of the mixture for storage, use the finished feed within 2 hours.

Chick feeding process

What to feed the chick: syringe, brushes?

When the chick is very small and blind, it is best to use an insulin syringe with a removable needle for feeding. For convenience, a clipped IV catheter can be put on, but the older the chick gets, the more it grabs the tip of the syringe and may swallow the catheter. Be careful not to use the catheter for grown feathered chicks and fledglings. Before feeding the chick, remove all drops of feed mixture from the tip of the syringe so as not to accidentally stain the plumage.

It is more convenient for some to use brushes for feeding very small chicks, if you have the skill and you do not stain the bird's feather, then you can use this technique.

If there are a lot of chicks, then feed everyone in a circle. No need to "feed" the chick immediately and completely: they gave a portion of food and move on to the next chick. Do not forget to check if the youngest chicks have eaten, as the older ones can “trample” the babies in the nest.

How often should chicks be fed?

Feeding is carried out every 20-30 minutes for 14 hours a day. Before a new feeding, make sure that the crop is empty. If the goiter slowly empties or swells -. It is important not to overfeed the chicks, as the sparrow continues to ask for food even when the crop is already full; do not give the mixture more than 2/3 of the volume of the head, it is better to feed in small portions, but more often.

How to hold a chick while feeding?

When feeding, the chicks shake their heads, sway in different directions - for your convenience, you can gently hold the chick's head with the fingers of your free hand. Immediately remove leftover food from the head or body of the chick. If the chick does not poop immediately after feeding, feel the stomach, it should not be swollen or hard. Lack of litter may be due to too dry feed mixture. Dilute the mixture and/or give the chick extra water. If the chick still does not poop, give him water until the litter appears, without giving a new portion of food.

Feeding chicks and fledglings

As soon as the stumps of the first feathers appear on the chick, gradually begin to introduce food insects. It is necessary to introduce insects by replacing individual feedings with a nestling mixture for insects, removing hard parts from a flour worm, crickets, and locusts. Alternate feedings of liquid formula, insects, berries and small pieces of fruit.

Fledglings need to be fed every 45 minutes - 12-14 hours a day. The older the chick gets, the more insects we give. When the chick can already stand on its own paws, there is no longer any need for a liquid mixture, but provided that you have enough fodder insects, berries and fruits. Fruit is sprinkled with calcium, insects collapse in it. Necessarily! after each feeding, you need to give the bird water to drink: give 2-3 drops in the beak, or more if the chick asks for more.

Properly reared chicks of house sparrows are completely feathered by the time they reach the normal mass of adult birds, without stubby tails, bald spots on the head and white spots on the primary flight feathers. The mass of an adult house sparrow is 28 grams.

Chick training: target and clicker

If you are not going to release the chick back into nature, then it is important to use a clicker during feeding from the first days, developing a click reflex. This will help you in the future, when the chick begins to fly, train the chick, increasing its physical endurance. This is an important stage in the life of a chick and it is important not to miss this time.

Teaching a chick to self-feeding

As soon as the sparrow begins to leave his box on his own: firstly, it's time to start accustoming him to self-feeding; secondly, you need to eliminate all the cracks under the furniture, between the furniture and the walls (sparrows are very fond of hiding in such cracks and may not give a voice at all; it is extremely difficult to find a hidden chick).

Teaching a chick to "adult" food begins with the acquaintance of the chick with food. To do this, a grain mixture for canaries, or a mixture of seeds of meadow and forest grasses, is poured onto the bottom of the cage, or aviary. Pieces of vegetables, fruits, berries, greens are also placed here, fodder insects, a chopped boiled chicken egg, crumbs from dry food for kittens are thrown. No "forbidden" vegetables or fruits that are dangerous for sparrows grow in Eurasia. Since there will still be questions, I’ll clarify: the sparrow chick can be given: dill, parsley, cilantro, coriander, cabbage, apples, cherries, cherries, pears, bananas, potatoes, grapes and other vegetables and fruits, bunches of wild herbs and weeds. At first, the chick will effortlessly taste everything, over time he will learn to gnaw the seeds on his own. It is not necessary and should not be specially taught to eat on its own.

To make it easier for you to clean the cage and change food, it is best to use shallow trays. It is also most convenient to give water in shallow, wide containers. The older the sparrow becomes, the more foragers, hoarders and other methods of enriching the diet and habitat must be used.

Cessation of feeding and transfer of the chick to self-feeding

It is very important not to transfer the chick to self-feeding ahead of time. The fact that the chick began to peel the grain on its own and become interested in other foods is not a reason to reduce the frequency of feeding; in nature, parents feed the fledglings for a long time after the chicks have already begun to eat themselves. Surely you have seen a string of loudly screaming sparrows flying after their parents and begging for food. This is a very important period in the life of a fledgling. At this time, the parental birds teach the chicks: what to eat, how to eat, how to avoid dangers, and most importantly, following the parents allows the chicks to gain the necessary physical endurance. Therefore, now you also need to not only put food in the chick's beak, but make it fly around the apartment after you. Here they become up-to-date skills training that you have mastered before. Now you need to fix them - this will help you solve many problems with the behavior of the bird in the future. Too early transfer to self-feeding is fraught with malnutrition and the development of diseases in the chick.

Photo: Chicks in the nest. These fledglings are already ready to fly out of the nest, but for a few more weeks they will pester their parents, demanding additional feeding. Photo .

House sparrow chicks are ready to be transferred to independent feeding when they reach a weight of 20-27 grams, are fully feathered, the tail is 2-3 cm long, the beak becomes gray-beige and hard, the bites become painful, the yellow border at the corners of the beak turns pale and becomes small. noticeable. Now your chick is not a yellowmouth.

Start reducing your feeding frequency. Some chicks can adjust to self-feeding very quickly, literally a day after reducing the frequency of feeding. Other chicks at this age refuse to eat (do not want to eat) and such fledglings do not need to be force-fed. Watch the sparrow's body weight: if the bird does not lose weight below 21 grams and is active, then everything is in order. If you plan to release the bird in the future, then you can already take it out to the outdoor aviary.

Photo: This is how a healthy sparrow fledgling looks like, which can already feed on its own. Pay attention to the condition of the plumage and the corners of the beak. Photo: .

What can not be given to chicks?

In no case should poisoned flies, cockroaches, crickets be given to chicks. If you find a lethargic or dead fly or a cockroach, you cannot feed the chicks with them, as the chick will also be poisoned and die.

Do not give insects caught in a sticky tape trap.

You can not give minced meat from dumplings, whites, pasties, pies, sausages, sausages, cutlets, etc.

Do not give milk, bread soaked in milk, pizza cheese, milk powder and baby milk porridge.

You can not give sour, sour, rotten mixture for feeding.

You should not offer earthworms to the chick. Earthworms are intermediate hosts for worms, in particular, for syngamus, which lead to syngamosis.

Should I give my chick vitamins?

All vitamins are given only as prescribed by the veterinarian in charge of the development of the chick. Remember, vitamins are not just fun balls or syrup, they are chemical compounds having their own indications and contraindications for admission. It is especially important to know this if you decide to give fat-soluble ADE vitamins to the chick yourself - an overdose of these drugs is deadly for any bird!

Signs of disease in chicks

Slowing the rate of development of the chick and the rate of weight gain are important signs of disease. Also, it is important to pay attention to the condition of the litter. Normally, the litter should be formed, odorless, not liquid, without bubbles. The goiter should be emptied very quickly, the swelling of the goiter and its overflow should not be allowed.

If during feeding you got into the trachea and the chick coughed, began to sneeze - contact your bird doctor IMMEDIATELY!

Paws should not move apart. Fingers should be straight.

Photo: This non-feathered sparrow chick has the so-called “twine” - the paws move apart due to damage to the tendons. If the treatment of the chick is not started in time, it will either die in a very short time. early age or become disabled for life. If you see that the chick's feathers are parting, then immediately contact a veterinarian specializing in the treatment of birds. Photo:

Photo: This house sparrow chick fell into the hands of a person at a very early age, with paws already moving apart. Pay attention to the setting of the paws: the paws are "spread out" to the sides.These are signs of rickets, treatment of chicks with such paws should begin as soon as possible after you notice the first signs of the disease. Despite the fact that dFor this chick, a correct “nest” was made, in which the paws did not move apart even more, the bird remained disabled.

Photo: The same chick as in the photo above, but already grown up. The paws are turned out to the sides. Feathers do not open properly. Look at the feathers of the wings and tail: there should not be such “needles”.

Photo: There should be no bald patches on the head and neck of the chick. Poor condition of the plumage, multiple stress lines on the feather, uneven opening of the feathers on the tail, lag in the development of feathers on the head, paw turned to the side - all these are signs of disease in the sparrow chick. The photo is the same chick as above.

Photo: The feather should not have stress lines (transverse grooves), areas with no secondary grooves (not a full feather). Plumage color should be light brown without white spots. The same chick, but already a fledgling.

Eyes should be clean, clear. Eyelids should not be red.

If you notice signs of illness in the chick, contact your veterinarian immediately. It is better to once again ask the doctor if everything is in order than to miss the critical time to start treating the bird.

Is it possible to release a human-fed chick into the wild?

A single-grown sparrow chick is very strongly attached to the person who fed it, it is possible to adapt such a chick for release if you take care of "running wild" in advance. To do this, you do not need to lisp with the chick, fed and forgotten. During feeding it is necessary to wear bright clothes or clothes with color spots, so that the chick does not concentrate on the face of the feeder and his voice, but is distracted by bright clothes. When reaching the age of self-feeding - do not show too much interest in the bird, such a fledgling will quickly begin to run wild and be afraid of a person. Of course, for release into the wild, it is better to raise at least two chicks at once, so that in the future there will be no problems with socialization, but a single-fed sparrow can also be successfully released - subject to its special training. Without adaptation, socialization and training, it is impossible to release a well-fed chick into nature.

Preparing for release into the wild

To prepare for release into the wild, an aviary is required at least 1.2 x 2.4 x 2.4, but the larger, the better. The walls of the aviary are made of a soldered “fur farm” mesh with a mesh of 1 x 1 or 1 x 1.5 cm. It is best to attach the aviary with one or two walls to existing buildings, so that the birds have a corner protected from the wind on both sides.

In the aviary, it is necessary to create a central area free from perches and shelters where birds can fly. Feeding birds in such an aviary is carried out with the maximum possible amount of wild herbs and plants growing in your area. In such an enclosure, a flock of sparrows is kept for 1-2 weeks. All birds must be in good condition before release. physical form, fully feathered, the feather should be waterproof, like those of wild sparrows.

Release into nature

prepared Birds should be released in the morning good weather. It is desirable that the weather forecast for the next few days after the release is also good. It is best to release where flocks of young sparrows already live.

I draw your attention to the fact that release into nature should be supervised by specialists and it is necessary to prepare for it in advance, since there are a large number of important details that are beyond the scope of this article.

A useful video about feeding sparrow chicks on Pernatik's life channel:

Kozlitin V.E.

References:
1. Hand-rearing birds / Laurie J. Gage, Rebecca Duerr. ©2007 Blackwell Publishing
2. Avian medicine: principles and applications. Ritchie, Harrison and Harrison. © 1994. Wingers Publishing, Inc., Lake Worth, Florida

The title photo shows a healthy, unfeathered house sparrow chick.

Sparrows are funny birds, their flocks always attract attention with noise and hubbub. Sometimes they begin to harm: they peck at strawberries, spoil and make cherry berries dry. Last September, in my garden, I had to urgently remove unripe apples-ranetki. It is good that they noticed in time, otherwise they would have been left without a harvest.

Suddenly, the foliage on the apple tree began to waver, as if a flock of field thrushes had flown into it. Then I thought that the thrushes had already flown into the forest. Did some crazy ones decide to come back to eat apples too?

It turned out to be easier - it was the sparrows who came up with the idea to feast. Then she put her grandson on guard, and she herself ran for a bucket.

I collected four buckets of apples, they managed to peck the rest and damage them well, they couldn’t even cut off the pecked places. I had to face such hooliganism sparrow for the first time.

These are the bird feeders sparrows find for themselves. How and what sparrows in winter feed?

What do sparrows eat in winter?

There are no insects, and those that hid in the cracks in the bark of trees are difficult for sparrows to get. This is woodpecker food.

There are no seeds to be found either. Especially in such snowy winter like we have today. Snow height up to 1.5 meters. How to survive? What should be done sparrows in winter to feed yourself and endure until the summer?

There are advantages over other birds - they live next to humans, because omnivorousness helps them arrange bird feeders in landfills and garbage dumps.

In the village, they also live well in winter, where they keep cows and eat hay. We did not notice the sparrows while they were feeding on hay dust - after all, there are a lot of seeds there, sometimes a field strawberry is also found. Next to the haystack is a real bird feeder.

Now only poultry is grown in the courtyard, and only in warm time. In winter, there is no food for sparrows.

What do sparrows eat in summer?

Sparrows are omnivorous birds. They do not deny themselves the pleasure of pecking at flower buds, tree buds, any seeds that are abundantly supplied to plants, grapes. If you leave a piece of bread in the garden, in an hour it will be gone. All human food is restaurant dishes of sparrows.

Insects are also hunted. But they especially like this activity while feeding the chicks. For two weeks, each sparrow family eats 1.5 kilograms of insects.

This is a lot. Several families are able to reduce the number of insects in the garden and vegetable garden. After all, adult insects themselves, and caterpillars, and eggs are suitable for them. Multitasking helper.

Sparrows become beggars in winter.

We made them that way. When the snow fell and filled up all possible feeding places, we began to scatter last year's old groats not far from the kitchen windows right on the snow.

sparrows in winter become more daring, so you might say. After all, in the summer, no matter what food they poured, they will never sit down next to him, while a person sees them.

And in winter, sparrows lose all fear from hunger. They understand that food is for them. They can flutter to the nearest branch, but ran away sparrows in winter don't run away.

Such a bird feeder is not very good: either snow falls in large flakes and covers the food, or a blizzard sweeps everything. Therefore, the husband came up with the idea of ​​​​putting a lid from a bee hive instead of a feeder. It took the sparrows fifteen minutes to think “maybe, scary,” and then they quickly pecked everything up.

The old cereal was over, I had to fill the bird feeder with wheat grains, they remained in the fall. Here came a stupor at the sparrows in winter. Apparently, this food is not particularly suitable for them. But frosts -40 forced to get used to it.

Schedule.

In summer, we do not notice how sparrows live. In winter, they themselves show their schedule. Only the night darkness will dissipate a little, as the first sparrows sit on cherry branches above the feeder. Are waiting.

The most impatient birds fly away, it looks like reconnaissance. They will look, jump in the feeder and again onto the twig. The most daring sparrow reports that the delivery of products is delayed due to the long sleep of people. All the rest are vigorously discussing this news. The chirping is loud, like summer.

They saw - they carry food, they immediately begin to worry - they scurry from branch to branch, sometimes they fly quite far and make quite a loud noise, as if they are attracting those who have not yet arrived for breakfast.

And then the meal begins in the bird feeder. Noisy, fun. It is interesting to look at them from the window. But sudden human movements are not tolerated. Some especially brave ones, noticing the rapid movement in the window, remain to peck the grains, the rest soar up to the branches. Not for long sparrows in winter I think they are changing their character.

The uniqueness of sparrows.

There is a saying that at night all cats are gray. The same way people treat sparrows. Sparrows in winter and summer are immediately distinguished from other birds. But we consider them absolutely equally colored.

It turned out that this was not the case. General drawing coloring is the same. But each sparrow has its own make-up. We did not find two identical in the flock. There are very dark ones with bright colors, and these are not only sparrows, but also sparrows are painted like that.

There is simply with red feathers. They are so bright and sunny. Not bright. The color is faded, as if faded, but sparrows in winter in such a dress they are very beautiful on white snow. Maybe on a bright sunny summer colorful day such sparrows are simply not noticeable?

Bird feeders. Another variant.

The husband watched a television program that talked about titmouse. It turns out that they will not peck grains from a flat, calm surface. They need a feeder that will move, whether in the wind or because the bird has sat in it.

So there was a feeder for titmouse. Ordinary plastic transparent water bottle. They made several cuts and organized by putting pieces of lard into it.

They thought that sparrows would not dare to fly into such a dangling dining room. Really hoped. Apparently, fat attracts them so that they are not afraid of movement.

sparrows in winter... Only in winter does the gardener or gardener have time, with tits.

Why do it?

Of course, there are economic motives. more birds at the backyard, more insects they will eat, those insects will bring less harm.

As a result, less chemicals for plant protection.

So I thought, is it possible to grow plants in your garden in such a way that other passerines visit it, and maybe nest. Let the sparrows not be bored.

One more observation.

In the first days, no more than a dozen sparrows flew into our bird feeders. And for a long time they did not sit in the feeders, peck a few grains and fly away. Not on the nearest branch from fear, but far away. So far away you can't see the bird. Where are they flying? For what?

Tell other sparrows about the bird feeder. Because after 2 weeks there were already 86 sparrows at the feeder. It turns out that a lot of sparrows live near my house in winter. And yet, they are not fed there, otherwise, the messengers would not have flown to call their relatives to the table. And relatives would stay at home, where there is food.

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Having found a small chick on the street, most people immediately ask themselves the question: is it possible to feed a sparrow chick at home? Indeed, the main food for adults is the seeds of plants that chicks cannot yet consume due to their age. When kept at home, their main diet should be invertebrates or special feed mixtures, which will need to be prepared by oneself. From this article you will learn how to feed a sparrow chick found on the street, what kind of care a bird needs, and why you should not pick it up once again.

Basic data

Sparrow has been a permanent companion of man since ancient times. Despite the fact that earlier sparrows lived only in Africa, later they settled in almost all countries, even mastering Siberia and the tundra. Thanks to the settlers, this sparrow was even brought to America in 1850 and has firmly settled there since that time.

The sparrow belongs to the order Passeriformes, which includes about five thousand different birds. On average, the weight of an adult bird is about 30 grams.

The sparrow got its name due to the habit of flying to farmers' fields. People, chasing them away, shouted: “Beat the thief!”, later remaking this cry into the name of the bird.

Sparrow chick fell out of the nest - what to do?

If you find a chick on the street, you should first find out what class of birds it belongs to. In addition, even if you are sure that this is a sparrow, it will not be superfluous to find out from the veterinarian how to get a sparrow chick in an apartment setting. Before you take him into your home, make sure that his life is in immediate danger, because young birds quite often die in captivity. If you are sure that his life is not in immediate danger, it is better to leave the chick where you saw it.

In the event that the chick you found is already fully fledged, then this is a fledgling that is just learning to fly. If there are no feathers, then he is not yet supposed to be on the ground, so it would be best to inspect the surrounding bushes and put the baby in the nest.

Knowing how to feed a little sparrow chick, in a short time, with a certain amount of effort, you can grow a healthy, beautiful bird from a fragile baby that will delight you with a cheerful chirp.

Habitat

With the exception of some varieties, sparrows lead sedentary life. An example is the white-headed sparrow, which goes to winter in warm countries. If you find a flying sparrow on the street, be sure to consider the difficulties you will encounter. You need to know not only how to hatch a sparrow chick, but also how to adapt it to adult life in its natural environment.

When taking home a fragile baby, keep in mind that the more often you touch him, the greater your influence on him will be, therefore, over time, he will perceive you as a parent and will completely cease to be afraid of people, which in vivo can make life difficult for him. Take the chick in your arms only if you firmly decide to keep it for yourself.

Nesting features

In most cases, sparrows nest in pairs, trying not to create colonies. They live in close proximity to human habitation. Most often they arrange nests in the crevices of buildings, among branches, in the nests of large birds that do not notice small sparrows and in hollows of trees. In addition, they can occupy the nests of other birds, such as swallows.

IN southern regions they often build nests openly, placing them in bushes, on steep ravines, in close proximity to grain fields.

The nest, in whose construction both parents participate, is a sloppy structure of dry grass and feathers. Birds try to make a small depression in the middle part of it.

In late autumn, strengthened chicks, together with adults, renew the nest with new branches, due to which it provides proper protection from wind and snow in the cold season.

reproduction

Sparrows are monogamous by nature. Looking for a mate, they remain faithful to their partner for at least the entire season, and sometimes throughout their lives. The female carries out the first laying already at the end of April. The clutch consists of five to seven eggs, incubation of which lasts up to two weeks. Both parents participate in the feeding process, catching a large number of various insects during the day. Chicks with good nutrition and climatic conditions able to fly out of the nest within a few weeks after birth.

Appearance

Sparrows are small birds with a strong build and a moderately long, strong beak. The wings are short and wide. At the end of a small tail there is a small notch. The color of the upper feathers is brown-brown, and the belly is light. In addition, individuals have well-developed sexual dimorphism, due to which it is quite easy to distinguish a male from a female.

The male has a fairly large dark spot on the chin, which smoothly passes to the rest of the body. The female, unlike the male, has a dark brown head, while the male has a gray one. In addition, the male looks much more colorful than the female, and his plumage is much brighter.

On the back, painted brown, there are many longitudinal stripes. Similar stripes can be seen around the eyes. The area above the tail is gray-brown. The feathers on the wings have a light orange border, while the covert feathers are white. The color of the beak and legs is dark.

Caring for fledglings

If you decide to take the baby home, you should know how to feed the yellowmouth sparrow chick, because he has not yet learned to open his beak when food approaches him.

Keep in mind that you need to feed such a baby, if possible, without touching him with your hands. Food should be brought with tweezers, carefully opening its beak. As the chick grows, he will begin to open it himself at the right time, perfectly understanding the purpose of the tweezers.

Ant eggs or small insects are ideal food for newborn sparrows. If the chick is not yet fledged, mealworms will be rude to him, and earthworms can be infected with helminths.

The most common types

In the CIS territories, 16 species of sparrows are most often found, which, due to their mass distribution almost all over the world, are not protected by law, as a result of which there are no prohibitions on keeping them as pets. Along the roadsides of city paths, the seeds of bird buckwheat and most other herbs are willingly eaten.

Despite the undeniable benefits that they bring to mankind by eating a large number of insects, they are still partially pests, because, arriving at the grain fields, they significantly reduce the harvest, pecking out the ripening grains from the ears, which are digested in their bodies for 3-4 hours. During the ripening period of various fruits, sparrows peck at the ripest fruits, as a result of which they quickly wither and dry out.

When taking a baby to you, you should know how to feed a sparrow chick, because if you give him large caterpillars and mealy worms, he simply will not be able to swallow them due to his age. Even adults in the wild do not eat them whole. The caught caterpillar warms up until the sparrow manages to peck out its insides.

Features of care

Knowing how to feed a sparrow chick at home, within a month of careful care, you will grow a beautiful strong bird out of it.

Bringing the baby home, first of all, place him in a box and put a heating pad next to him, which should first be wrapped in a towel. Whatever you do, move the bird as carefully as possible and keep the temperature around the baby within 30 degrees. Carefully observe the growth of the chick. A healthy individual should gain weight daily.

What you need to know when taking a chick home

Even knowing how to hatch a sparrow chick, you should not forget about your health, because chicks can be carriers of various infectious diseases. Always be hygienic when handling your pet. Thoroughly disinfect your hands, and also clean the nest from its waste products.

You should not accustom the bird to touch, try to distance yourself from it as much as possible - this will help feed the sparrow chick at home and easily release it in the future. wildlife. Keep in mind that you must create the most comfortable, calm conditions for him. A strong fright in a bird can lead to irreversible consequences, including death.

Complete Diet

As soon as the baby enters the apartment, a completely natural question arises: Having equipped it in housing, purchase special food for chicks at the veterinary pharmacy. In the event that the chick is still fledgling, ant eggs and special mixtures of cottage cheese and grated carrot that you need to prepare yourself.

Keep in mind that carrots must be present in the diet of the bird, because due to the high content of vitamins it helps to strengthen its still fragile immunity. As soon as the sparrow grows up, add as many insects as possible to his food.

If the chick has not yet begun to form its own feathers, it must be fed at least once every hour. Grown up individuals can be fed every few hours. Focus on your pet's behavior. As soon as he gets hungry, he will begin to squeak, invitingly opening his beak.

How to water a chick

Even knowing how to feed a sparrow chick, do not forget to water it in a timely manner. It is best to use a pipette for this, with which you need to pour a few drops of water into his beak after each share of food.

It is enough to apply the pipette only lightly to the beak, without trying to open it. Drink only water. At the same time, keep in mind that small chicks do not know how to drink from a bowl on their own and can choke.

"Thief bey! "- shouted the peasants, angrily driving the sparrows from their crops. Still, a flock of sparrows can peck clean a hectare of a wheat field in a few days! It was from this cry that the name of the small winged neighbor of people came from.

And in China in the middle of the 20th century, the irreparable almost happened - the sparrow population in the light of the struggle for the harvest was destroyed to the root.

And famine set in the country: caterpillars and beetles destroyed all grain, because their enemies, sparrows, were no more! The Chinese had to buy sparrows from neighbors and breed them again.

What do sparrows feed their chicks and what do they themselves eat in spring

In early spring, when the snow has not yet melted everywhere, but sticky buds are already on the trees, the sparrow lays the first batch of eggs.

Hatching chicks, she waits until the male brings her all living creatures: she eats earthworms, the first caterpillars, flies; everything that crawls, jumps and flies from insects. Chicks also receive living food in their yellow mouths.

Parents feed babies only with insects, and they themselves do not refuse them; it is in spring that the benefits of sparrows are most noticeable - a couple of birds eat up to 3 kg of garden pests per month!

Harvest Slayers!

At the same time, sparrows raid trees, pecking buds; flowers fruit trees and shrubs are also spoiled by them - sparrows can leave the owner of a currant or mountain ash without a crop.

What do sparrows eat in summer

Whoever feeds sparrow families in winter knows that feeders are almost always empty in summer. City sparrows that live in parks and squares systematically destroy insect pests in the summer.

At this time of the year, they are always full and do not need to be fed - there are many beetles and caterpillars that devour foliage, that is, there is more than enough food for the city sparrow.

Sometimes these birds visit landfills and places where there are a lot of food waste; for example, they pay visits to the backyards of restaurants and cafes where there are garbage containers.

The village sparrow, living next to a person in the countryside, also eats insects non-stop, but does not deprive the fields / meadows of its attention.

In the southern Russian regions, the attitude towards village sparrows is still ambivalent: on the one hand, they protect future harvest, and on the other hand, they peck at this very harvest with a brutal appetite!

Fields of young wheat and rye, sowings of oats and millet, berries in the garden - all this a feathered one can destroy in literally words.

Everything that grows can fall under a sparrow raid - a bird spoils apples, absorbs grapes that have not yet ripened. In agricultural areas in the summer there is a control over the number of sparrows, based on the proportion of harm and benefit: so that there are not too many of them, but so that they do not disappear at all.


Sparrow winter food

In winter, not only cold sets in - a terrible famine approaches the sparrows. The verse came out sad: caterpillars, midges hid, the ground is covered with snow, it is incredibly difficult to get autumn seeds.

The trees are bare, no fruits, no pests. Sparrow, like, due to the fact that he does not have subcutaneous fat, suffers severely from a lack of food in winter; in the cold, sparrows die en masse not from frost, but from hunger.

And then the person who is in second place after the cat in the list of sparrow enemies comes to the aid of the birds. Wheat and oats, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, bread, lard and pieces of meat - the sparrow eats everything with gratitude.

City dumps are freed from food waste in winter, garbage bins next to houses are cleared of scraps by sparrows.

In the villages, sparrows escape from hunger by visiting cowsheds and looking for seeds of wild grasses in hay.

The ambivalent attitude towards sparrows is a difficult question, but you should always remember that this bird eats mostly insect pests. A person can protect crops even without the cruel extermination of sparrows, because there are many modern repellents.