Sometimes, it happens: baby birds fall out of the nest, or adult birds abandon their nest for one reason or another. Regardless of the circumstances, you’ve found a baby goldfinch in your yard and are wondering what you should do with it. Can you raise it yourself? How do you feed it? How do you get it to fly? Keep reading as we answer all of these questions and more.
What You'll Learn Today
Should You Raise a Baby Goldfinch?
Whenever possible, it’s best to allow adult birds to raise their own babies. Caring for them yourself requires round-the-clock attention, and it’s pretty easy to get it wrong.
That said, if a baby goldfinch has truly been injured or abandoned, it’s okay to try raising it yourself if there are no other options for its care. It may or may not survive, but without any intervention, it will certainly die.
Before trying to raise any baby bird on your own, though, make certain that it has been lost or abandoned.
For the first week or so, parents should return to the nest every one to two hours to feed the babies; after that, it may be several hours between feedings. If a nest has been left alone longer than a few hours, check on the babies from a safe distance to see if they appear weak or malnourished.
If you see a young bird on the ground, observe it carefully from a distance to see whether it appears injured or if there are other goldfinches in the area that seem to be interacting with it from time to time. If it looks okay, it may simply be a young fledgling learning how to fly and survive outside of the nest.
If you determine that a baby bird is injured or abandoned and needs help, it’s best to contact a professional. They can walk you through the process of providing care yourself or provide resources and instruction on where to take the chick.
How Do You Feed a Baby Goldfinch?
The first step in caring for goldfinch chicks is to get them to safety. You can do this by putting them in a cardboard box with a towel or blanket on the bottom and setting them in a warm place away from direct sunlight.
If the birds are very young, place them in an incubator of some sorts to help them stay warm–if they get too cold, they will die. You can use an incubator you buy or make one yourself, as shown in the video below:
Next, contact a local wildlife specialist or veterinarian to find out what you should do next; they may offer guidance on where to take the birds or how to care for them at home. If the baby is injured, take it to a vet right away.
Follow the directions provided by the vet or specialist; do not attempt to feed the babies unless instructed to do so, and never force-feed them water. If the vet or specialist suggests feeding, they will likely tell you to use a syringe to pump small amounts of food into the baby’s beak.
You may need to hold the baby’s head gently between the thumb and fingers and allow it to eat from a syringe until it closes its beak on its own. Again, though, it’s important to talk to a professional and feed the baby exactly as instructed.
What Should You Feed a Baby Goldfinch?
Baby goldfinches need a high-protein diet to help them grow and develop properly. In the wild, their parents feed them a diet of regurgitated insects, worms, and/or termites.
A veterinarian or wildlife specialist can instruct you on what to feed your baby goldfinches. They may suggest some type of chick feed that will provide the specific protein levels and nutrients the birds need.
Again, it’s important not to feed the babies unless instructed to do so by a professional. It’s very easy to injure or kill the baby through improper feeding methods.
How Often Should You Feed a Baby Goldfinch?
As noted, goldfinches in the wild feed their babies every one to two hours around the clock for the first week or so of their lives. Feeding will diminish as the chicks get older, so how often you should feed your baby birds will depend on their age.
This is one reason it’s so important to talk to a professional when attempting to feed goldfinch chicks. The vet or wildlife specialist will ask questions to determine the baby’s age and will then be able to provide guidance on how often to feed it.
Feeding a baby goldfinch yourself can be a time-intensive process, especially if the bird is very young. You may need to provide a feeding every 30 to 60 minutes, day and night, until the chick has grown sufficiently and you can reduce feedings to every few hours.
Can Baby Goldfinches Feed Themselves?
Baby goldfinches, like other chicks, are highly vulnerable because they depend on regular feedings from their parents. They are unable to feed themselves, especially when they are young.
As they grow, they will develop the skills and abilities to forage for their own food. They will begin developing these abilities after about two to three weeks and should be fully capable of self-feeding by five weeks old.
When feeding a baby goldfinch with a syringe, be careful not to touch the beak at all, which may cause injury. As they grow, begin providing them with fruits and seeds so they can learn to feed themselves.
Check out this video to see how to syringe-feed a baby goldfinch:
How Long Does it Take to Raise a Baby Goldfinch?
In the wild, goldfinch babies fledge when they are around 14 to 21 days old. However, they stay near the nest, and their parents continue to feed them for another two to three weeks.
Depending on how old your baby goldfinch is, you are likely committing to at least a couple of weeks of care. Older babies will require less care than younger ones and will also become fully independent sooner.
Keep your baby in a caged enclosure once it is old enough to leave the incubator; again, a professional can provide guidance on when to make this change based on the chick’s age. Provide plenty of food for self-feeding once it is old enough, and monitor the baby bird closely, seeking professional help if it appears to grow sick or lethargic.
How Do You Get a Baby Goldfinch to Fly?
As goldfinch chicks near the normal fledging age, they will begin to stretch their wings and prepare for flight. This is an instinctive process; the best thing you can do is provide support and plenty of space for them.
Provide perches for the chicks to encourage fledging. Make sure there is a soft blanket or other padding on the bottom of their enclosure so they don’t injure themselves if they fall.
Goldfinch babies don’t fly far on their maiden voyage, but they will need to continue practicing over the next few days or weeks. Providing them with a larger enclosure, allowing them a designated room to practice, or even providing a supervised outdoor space can encourage them to develop their natural flying abilities.
Conclusion
If you find a baby goldfinch, make sure it truly needs your intervention before attempting to care for it. Provide a warm, safe environment and the proper food for any babies you bring inside. Ask a vet or wildlife professional for specific guidance on care and feeding.
