How and what to feed birds in winter - three main rules and other useful tips. Sparrow chick: how to feed, where to keep, how to release

They leave us in the fall migratory birds. They flew in, built nests, fed the chicks, cleared forests and gardens of pests - and again set off on a long and difficult journey. It is always sad to say goodbye to migratory birds, and you always want to say to them from the bottom of your heart: “Bon voyage...” To replace those that have flown away, bullfinches, waxwings, and tap dancers fly into our forests, fields, gardens and parks. These winter guests will fly north in the spring.

The so-called city dwellers also stay with us for the winter, street birds: tits, sparrows, jackdaws, crows, pigeons. In winter birds need feed. For this you need feeders. A wide variety of feeders are used, ranging from a primitive-shaped, simple tray with sides to feeding tables with a canopy over them in the form of a roof, which will protect the feed from rain and snow.

Not all foods can be eaten by birds, some of them can even be harmful. Young naturalists will find it interesting and useful to know What you can and cannot feed birds in winter.

When to feed birds?

Time: from early November to mid-April

You can start feeding birds even before snow falls, approximately in early November, and end in the second half of April. At first, birds do not visit feeders much, since they are not yet accustomed to them and food can still be obtained in nature. But deep snow falls, and birds begin to visit them willingly. When going around the feeders, it is always advisable to have a shovel and a broom with you to clear the approach to them.

Menu for birds

Particular attention should be paid to feeding various types tits and nuthatch, which are the most valuable of our helpers in the fight against harmful insects.

For them, you can prepare watermelon, pumpkin, melon and sunflower seeds in advance, which are pre-crushed with a bottle or some other hard object, so that it is easier for birds to reach edible pulp with their thin beaks. In severe frosts, it is good to give them finely chopped meat and lard, which tits eat very readily.

Various weed seeds and cones should be poured onto the feeder table daily. coniferous trees, crumbs of white bread, pieces of meat, dried berries and seeds of cultivated plants: wheat, millet, oats, flaxseed and hemp seed,

In winter, sparrows and titmice can also be fed: oatmeal, short-grain rice, unsalted and unroasted seeds, nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pine, hazelnuts), pumpkin seeds, peanuts.

Seeds of grass and weeds, cones of coniferous trees need to be prepared in advance.

The following foods may also be included in the diet: pieces of fruit, dry or fresh berries, medium-fat cottage cheese mixed with white breadcrumbs, grated hard-boiled egg, mealworms.

Table: What to feed birds in winter

Can

It is forbidden

sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, watermelon, melon, nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, hazelnuts), pumpkin seeds, peanuts - for tits, millet, oats, flax and hemp seeds, oatmeal (split grain) - for sparrows and some tits, round grain rice - for sparrows and some tits, unsalted, unroasted seeds - for tits, bullfinches, greenfinches, white bread is for sparrows, grass and weed seeds, conifer cones, peanuts (unroasted, unsalted), fruits and berries (dry or fresh, pieces), unsalted lard, medium fat cottage cheese mixed with white breadcrumbs, chopped boiled egg, mealworms.

everything fried, salted (seeds, lard), spoiled and moldy, rancid grain black bread.

Winter feeding and hanging artificial nests will significantly increase the number useful birds who will diligently protect gardens, fields and forests from pests, and delight us with their wonderful songs.

Important!!! Never pick up sparrow fledglings, never feed them. Because each such feathered lump, seemingly lonely, unhappy and abandoned, is strictly controlled by its parents [online] and feeds them strictly by the hour. Except in very rare cases.

Important!!! If you nevertheless picked up a chick and artificially fed it, then you can no longer release it into the wild. Such a sparrow, fed by a person, will not be adapted for a free life, even if a flock of sparrows accepts it. Practice shows that a sparrow released into the wild dies within 3-5 days.

So, if you already have a sparrow, get ready to get up with the first rays of the sun for several weeks, take it with you to work, and go to bed late in the evening. All in order to feed the bird every hour. Birds in general, and chicks in particular, must eat frequently. Remember, you need to feed the chick strictly every hour, preferably every half hour, until satiated. If the feeding process is interrupted for more than two hours, the chick is likely to die. This is due to the specific digestive system and is very quick exchange substances. You can sleep peacefully at night, because at night the metabolism of birds naturally and slows down significantly.

For the right choice feeding regime, you need to try to determine the approximate age of the chick.

• 1. the chick in the photo is approximately 2-3 days old;
• 2. the chick in the photo is about 7 days old;
• 3. about 12 days;
• 4. about 15-20 days (already trying to fly).

Since the sparrow is a grain- and insectivorous bird, consider it an omnivore, it is easy to feed it. Typically, sparrows and similar birds are fed a mash composed of the following components in the indicated proportions:

• One boiled chicken egg (or three quail);
• Boiled millet 2 teaspoons;
• Finely grated carrots 1 teaspoon (squeeze out the juice);
• Chopped lettuce leaves or chickweed herbs (stellaria media) 1/2 teaspoon;
• Dry daphnia 1 teaspoon (sold in pet stores) or 1 teaspoon finely chopped boiled beef;
• One pharmaceutical calcium tablet.

The components are thoroughly mixed, preferably in a blender, until the consistency of medium-thick sour cream. The mixture is stored in the freezer, naturally frozen. Before feeding, I break off part of the mixture, thaw it and put it into a syringe. It is convenient to take an insulin syringe, which has a gently pressing piston.

We take the sparrow in our fist, but do not squeeze it too hard, so as not to damage it, but also so that it does not break out. Next, tap the nose of the syringe on the beak. The chick must open its beak itself. If the chick is not yet fledged and naked, then in any case it will open its mouth when the syringe approaches. If the chick is already a fledgling, then it will not open its beak on its own. In this case, you will have to unclench the beak with your nails.

Give the mixture little by little. You should try not to put the mash in the beak, but push it a little further so that the food gets into the crop and not into the beak. After each serving, give the chick a drop of water. Feed one at a time until satiated, until the beak stops opening. A remarkable feature: when the sparrow has had enough, it begins to weakly vibrate its entire body in the palm of its hand. I don’t know what this is connected with, maybe with a feeling of pleasure, but the sensations are unforgettable.

If the chick does not open its mouth fundamentally, then it will have to be force-fed. After some time, the chick gets used to the syringe and begins to open its mouth, however, not always.

When feeding a sparrow, it is very important to monitor the bird's droppings. The droppings should not be completely covered with white film. The presence of film indicates an incorrect feeding regime.

Starting from the third week, the sparrow should already try to peck the seeds (not sunflowers). But since his beak is still soft, it is difficult for him to crack the seeds. Therefore, it should be given to the sparrow along with the seeds. rice porridge or boiled millet, millet, which the sparrow, by the way, happily eats from its finger.

As soon as the sparrow began to eat the porridge itself, you no longer need to give the mash from the syringe. When the sparrow begins to eat the seeds on its own, you can also give up the porridge. Of the available bird foods, a grain mixture for finches or canaries is excellent. You can also try giving grain mixture to parrots, but it contains a lot of oats, and sparrows do not eat it very well.

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• Published September 13, 2014 12:56
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In the spring, when all the birds begin to have offspring, you can sometimes see chicks falling out of their nests. small ones, not fully fledged, yellow-mouthed babies look so defenseless and abandoned that it is simply impossible to pass by. Therefore, many people rush to take them with them in order to save the poor birds, warm them and feed them. What to feed a sparrow.

If you found a sparrow chick and brought it home to go out, first you need to find a place for it to stay. For this, a small box may be suitable, at the bottom of which you need to lay a cloth made of soft material. Place the foundling there and make sure it can't jump out. Very young chicks may need additional heating. To do this, it is recommended to use a heating pad or a bottle filled with warm water.

So, you picked up a sparrow chick, brought it to your house, equipped it temporary shelter and are going to feed the bird. The main thing to remember is that chicks insectivorous birds per day they eat food that is 3/4 of their weight. What do sparrows eat? The basis of their diet in nature consists of small flies, worms, caterpillars, beetles and various larvae. Of course, it is advisable to feed the baby these insects, but, unfortunately, it will be quite difficult to get them.

You need to know exactly what you can feed a sparrow. For example, under no circumstances should you feed your bird bread. You can give it very little, after soaking it in milk, no more than once every 2-3 days. You can offer the chick some boiled meat, which should be finely chopped and add oatmeal or grains of some cereal.

The sparrow chick will also eat vegetables- cucumbers, carrots, beets. Before feeding, they must be finely ground and the excess juice squeezed out. You can also feed your baby boiled eggs and cottage cheese. It is very important to take into account that food for him should be unsalted, since salt should not be given to birds under any circumstances. You can supplement the diet by adding crushed chalk or coal; the chick will eat this supplement with pleasure.

When you try to feed the bird, you need to try to do it in such a way that the baby eats on his own. But if this is not possible, he should be given food after opening his beak with tweezers. This must be done very carefully so as not to harm the chick. If you are not sure that you can handle this task, it is better to ask someone else.

You need to feed your baby very often, once every 2 hours. Of course, this is very difficult and complicated, but if you want, you can cope, because you won’t allow the newly-made pet you have chosen to die of hunger? And also do not forget that, in addition to food, there should always be fresh water near the bird.

Is it worth picking up a sparrow chick?

Lifestyle of sparrows

Sparrows- small and agile birds, their cheerful chirping can always be heard on the street. Unlike their feathered counterparts, they wake up not at dawn, but rather late in the morning. Birds love to gather in noisy groups. When spring comes and it’s time to reproduce, the males fight for a long time for best places for nests. When the house for future babies is ready, the female lays 4 to 6 eggs. When the chicks are born, parents begin to worry about their food.

The sparrow chick is considered strong if he opens his beak wide when feeding. It is very rare, but there are cases where parents consider cubs that do not eat well to be weak and throw them out of their house. But such an action on the part of these birds - big exception.

In most cases, chicks fall out of the nests and begin to learn to fly. The first attempts may be unsuccessful, but later the kids gain strength and everything works out for them.

If you find a chick

Before you take it home little chick sparrow, it’s worth seriously thinking about, maybe it’s still worth leaving him where he was? Most likely, a “fledgling” fell out of the nest - a baby who has begun to learn to fly and is making his first attempts at this. And the bird’s parents are nearby at this moment, they control it and will always be able to bring food to their child while he is on the ground and gets stronger.

Caring for such a baby at home is quite problematic, and many chicks may simply die if not properly cared for or fed. If there are no dogs or cats nearby, it is better to bring and place a feeder with food where the fallen cub is located. And also do not forget that birds that grew up in captivity can quickly die after they are released to live outside.

If you find a nest, full of small and yellow-faced babies, and you are absolutely sure that their parents will not come again, and you really want to help the poor orphans, you can try to feed these chicks. If you wish, feeding such birds is a completely solvable task; you just need to first learn more about such babies so as not to inadvertently harm them.

Feeding instructions

First of all, you will definitely need:

• pipette;
• tweezers;
• disposable syringes;
• birdseed.

Now you can start feeding. To do this you need to do:

You already know that if you accidentally see chicks in the spring, it is better not to pick them up. But it may happen that you accidentally discover, say, a very small sparrow whose leg is broken, or has some other damage, and he is completely helpless, then, of course, he will definitely need help and care.

If the chick has not yet fully fledged, it needs to be heated. You need to place the baby in a warm and small bag. To do this, use an old mitten or wool sock. Make sure he is always warm. After this, you can try to feed the foundling.

Sequence of feeding a sparrow chick

You will need:

• insects (flies, beetles);
• tweezers.

The following steps will go like this:

1. Such a baby needs to be fed every hour using tweezers with a variety of insects; flies, spiders, worms, and small beetles are suitable. You can try to buy some at a pet store, for example, mealworm larvae. You will need quite a lot of food, so try giving it as well boiled egg, chopped meat;
2. when the sparrow opens its beak wide, use tweezers to place an insect into the bird's mouth, which it will subsequently swallow;
3. If the baby is not yet eating on his own, he does not need to be given water, as this is dangerous and he may choke. Feed him mushy food using a dropper. When he gets a little stronger and begins to eat on his own, place water in a drinking bowl next to him so that the sparrow chick can drink at will;
4. You shouldn’t worry about overfeeding your small pet, since birds have a very fast metabolism and need a lot of food. It is recommended to feed the babies little by little and often, and if the chick eats big amount food, but rarely, this will have a very negative impact on his health.

The evening of May 29 turned out to be apokoliptically terrible in Moscow: the sky opened up with a monstrous thunderstorm. The blackened air spewed deafening thunder, and fantastic lightning blinded my eyes. Drops the size of plums crashed on roofs and cars. People who emerged from the depths of the metro at the Orekhovo station huddled under a canopy. A little further, homeless people found their shelter, dragging their simple junk under the canopy. My car was parked about a hundred meters from the station. Thinking whether to rush to her right away or wait at least a couple of minutes, she pushed through the crowd, and, rushing past the homeless, began to twirl the naughty umbrella in her hands. And then I caught my eye something small, moving, huddled in the corner of the parapet. I approached. The yellow-throated chick, terribly frightened, tried to find at least some shelter from both the hurricane and the homeless. She grabbed him, who was crazy, pressed him, and ran, without opening the umbrella, rushed to the car.

Already in the cabin, I placed the chick in a shoe lying under the passenger seat. So he and I, slowly and fearfully, since the downpour was pouring down indicatively, and it was still dark outside, despite the early hour, we got to the pet store. After explaining the situation to the seller, I left with a box of the only bird food in the assortment with a mushy consistency: OVOMIX GOLD rosso (“Food for chicks with red plumage”). Of course, this is not exactly what I need, but I needed to make a decision quickly, and the store could not offer anything else for feeding baby birds.

So, already at home, first thing making a warm nest.

In my case, it was a small cage for rodents, at the bottom of which there was a decent layer of dry grass (the kind that is used for bedding for hamsters and rats). The chick should be warm and comfortable. Little ones get very cold without their mother’s warmth, so you need to approach the arrangement of the house just as carefully as when choosing a menu. Under no circumstances should you use materials that can harm it - gauze, cotton wool, etc. - as bedding. Thin threads can get tangled and damage the paws, and cotton wool can get stuck in the beak or nose.

After the chick brought home is provided with separate, comfortable and safe housing for it, we proceed to preparing food.

I did this:
- half a teaspoon of chopped egg
- half a teaspoon of chopped boiled chicken
- half a teaspoon of chopped cottage cheese
- a pinch of finely chopped greens (regular lettuce leaf)
- half a teaspoon of OVOMIX food.

All ingredients must be mixed and chopped very, very finely or even passed through a meat grinder. The chick's beak is small, so pieces larger than a match head are simply not swallowed.

Dinner is ready, but how to feed?

At first, having read a lot on the Internet, I tried to do everything “by science” - take small portions of the mixture and try to stick them into the yellowthroat’s beak with tweezers. It turned out that this was a completely stupid idea. Firstly, the sparrow stubbornly refused to open its beak. Secondly, the tweezers scared him. Thirdly, even if he accidentally opened his beak, getting into it with tweezers is not an easy task. And if I did get it, then getting the chick to swallow what was received is generally from the realm of science fiction (although they write on the Internet that there are no problems with this).

That's why I developed my own feeding mechanism.

I held the chick in my left hand so that it would not twitch. Feed right hand rolled it into tiny pellets. When the food ball was ready, the little sparrow tickled it a little with her fingers. He began to get angry, and in defense, he opened his beak, frightening me. I quickly shoved food into it. In half of the cases, food inserted deeply by hand (unlike tweezers, which cannot be inserted deeply - you are always afraid of hurting it) the chick swallowed it. If the ball still stuck to the inside of the beak, I gave the yellowthroat something to drink. For this, I had a small syringe (without a needle, of course) filled with water. Bringing it to the edge of the beak, she literally squeezed out half a drop. Water in tiny portions fell into the crack of the beak, the chick mechanically began to click it and swallowed food. This is how I managed to feed the little sparrow.

Understand that the chick is full to an inexperienced person very difficult. They write on the Internet that as soon as a bird is full, its crop will inflate. Try to find a goiter in a creature the size of half a finger, and so timid and fragile that for fear of damaging it you treat it as if it were a greatest work of art!

In general, let ornithologists look for goiters. I’m just a mother, and like any mother in the world, I understand that the baby is full for a simple reason: if it doesn’t eat anymore, it means it doesn’t want to. Thus, the feeding process, consisting of constant pushing, spitting, drinking and tickling, until the chick stops finally turning away and swallowing, takes 30-40 minutes.

In this mode, the sparrow and I spent Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, June 1st, I had to go to work for the whole day. Having fed him in the morning, and hoping for God’s providence, I placed a saucer with the mixture in the chick’s cage. Having left at 8 am and arriving home only at 8 pm, I discovered that the saucer was completely empty. So, I realized that I could peck on my own!

Overjoyed achieved success(“You’ve already learned how to eat!”), I decided to proceed to the next stage - “we’ll learn to fly!”

For training, the bathroom was chosen from all the rooms in the house. Firstly, the bathtub has a small area and there are no shelves, sofas or cabinets on which (if it tries) the chick could fall over and damage its wings. Secondly, cats have no access to the bathtub (explanation is unnecessary here :)

Since the chick, pulled out of the cage, had little idea of ​​what they wanted from it, a faucet with a long spout was chosen to simulate “sitting on branches.”

I wrapped the faucet with a towel so that the little sparrow’s legs wouldn’t slip off. Carefully placed on this improvised branch, the chick, during the 40 minutes spent on it, repeatedly attempted to take off: it shook itself, raised its wings, beat them... Then, tired, it froze, so that after resting it could continue again.

Let's talk about what sparrows eat. You can recognize these birds by their lively fuss on city streets. These active and cheerful birds survive even in severe frosts, because they do not neglect the food that catches their eye. Sparrows are characterized by such traits as cunning, agility and courage. From this article you will learn about the seasonal food preferences of birds, as well as how to fatten a sparrow that comes into your hands at home.

Sparrows are omnivorous birds. They got their name for their arrogant, thieving character. No wonder the peasants drove away the annoying gluttons with the words: “Beat the thief!” After all, it is known that a flock of these birds is capable of destroying an entire field of grain in just a few days.

However, these voracious birds also have benefits. They prey on harmful insects, whose populations, if uncontrolled, cause even more damage to agriculture than the sparrows themselves.

History remembers a case from the last century when, after the mass extermination of sparrows in China, crops were completely destroyed by beetles and caterpillars. After this, the Chinese were forced to artificially breed sparrows, purchasing them from neighboring countries.

This suggests that small, voracious sparrows are an indispensable cog in the ecosystem that performs important work in it.

Field and brownies

In nature, there are two types of sparrows: house sparrows and field sparrows.

Tree sparrows external signs resemble adult brownie males. Their physique has a more graceful shape, and the length of the body is 12-14 cm.

Main distinctive feature between species lies in the different color of the plumage on the top of the head. U tree sparrow it is bright brown, while the brownie's is dark brown. In the area of ​​the neck and head of tree sparrows there are dark inclusions in the form of spots, and the “collar” is painted white. House birds have one light stripe on their wings, while field birds have two.

As for gastronomic preferences, these varieties completely coincide.

Sparrow feeding in spring

The mating season and nesting of birds begins with the onset of the first heat. By this time, buds are already appearing on the trees. They become the main nutritious food for sparrows.

While the female incubates the eggs, her partner gets food for both of them. Earthworms, flies, caterpillars and other living creatures that crawl out into the sun after wintering act as spring food for sparrows. The same food is suitable for newly born chicks.

IN spring months The benefits of sparrows are most noticeable, since they catch harmful insects not only for themselves, but also for their offspring. Statistics show that during this period one pair destroys up to three kilograms of pests per month.

At the same time, sparrows do not stop raiding garden trees and other crops, eating their buds and seeds.

Summer food

During the hot season there is plenty of food for birds. Here's what sparrows eat in summer:

• beetles;
• larvae;
• caterpillars;
• locusts;
• butterflies;
• cereals (wheat, oats, millet);
• seeds;
• berries;
• fruits;
• food waste.

Sparrows in the city and rural areas meet at every step. There are a lot of them in parks, squares, vegetable gardens, fields, as well as nearby cafes and near trash cans. In summer, birds become especially harmful. They destroy not only crops, but also spoil the harvest of fruits ripening on the trees. In addition, the birds peck at grapes and other berries that are ripe by that time.

Due to this Agriculture is engaged in controlling the number of sparrows. This maintains a balance that does not allow both birds and insect pests to actively reproduce.

Feeding sparrows in winter

The sparrow begins in winter serious problems with the search for food. Trees and soil are left without fruit, insects completely disappear. This significantly narrows the search for food. Birds often die of hunger.

The remaining food sources for sparrows are city dumps, winter berries, cereal processing plants, public catering establishments.

Fortunately, in winter, humans come to the aid of sparrows by setting up feeders and filling them with bread, grains, sausage, cheese, pieces of lard and other bird delicacies.

Features of feeding

To save sparrows starving in winter, you need to build a feeder suitable specifically for them.

To avoid proximity to large birds, build a small structure for sparrows. Any available item is suitable for this, in particular, plastic bottle or box. Make a hole in it through which only small birds can easily penetrate.

As nutritious food for sparrows winter months a mix of cereals, leftover food from our table, including bread and protein products, nuts, cereals, seeds. It is recommended to string the meat pieces on a thick thread and hang them on top of the feeder.

Refill your feeder regularly as sparrows will stop visiting if it sits empty for a long time.

Feeding a sparrow chick at home

If you find a baby sparrow that has fallen from its nest and want to save it from starvation, take care of proper nutrition chick. IN wildlife its diet consists mainly of insects.

It’s not easy to get such food, so give your little sparrow boiled lean meat, pureed in half with oatmeal or chopped boiled egg. You can feed your baby bread no more than once every three days, after soaking a piece in milk.

The vegetable diet of a sparrow chick is boiled and grated beets, carrots and grated cucumber. Drain excess juice from vegetables first. The chick will receive calcium by including crushed chalk in the menu.

Do not add salt to cooked foods.

If the baby refuses food, gently push it down the throat, holding the open beak with tweezers. Give the sparrow water using a pipette.

The little sparrow is fed every two hours.

If you feel that you cannot handle all this, do not pick up the dropped chicks.

Principles of caring for a sick sparrow

It happens that an adult sparrow with a physical defect or illness falls into the hands of a person. A balanced diet will help you get rid of it.

The basis of the menu should be protein. Insects (worms and larvae) can be purchased at a fishing store or pet store. If getting them is problematic, give preference to parrot food, berries, boiled or raw meat, grated boiled carrots, chicken eggs and fresh clean water. If there is a lack of vitamins, introduce a special mixture into the diet, which the veterinarian will recommend.

If the bird is able to eat on its own, place a feeder with food and water in front of it. Otherwise, use tweezers and a pipette.

Foods prohibited for sparrows

Exclude rye and baked goods that contain it from the sparrow's homemade diet. This cereal reduces stomach acidity, which leads to upset stomach digestive system birds.

Also remove smoked and salty foods from the bird's diet. Sunflower or pumpkin seeds are only suitable when eaten raw. Everything fried, including seeds, causes disturbances in the functioning of the body.

Be careful with legumes too. They are rich in protein, but interfere with the complete absorption of food.

Of course, in the wild, sparrows do not disdain these products, since we're talking about about survival. But if you don’t want the bird to stain your home with numerous feces and die from inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, listen to our advice.

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