Posted by Aprilynne on March 25, 2005

Q: Is a baby sparrow (so young there are no hint of feathers yet) supposed to have a very large abdomen? The one we rescued this morning has a very stretched tummy, and I'm wondering if it's normal?

A: I usually discourage people from "rescuing" baby birds because they often are being taken care of by parents. Without any details from you, I'll assume this wasn't true. I've taken care of many abandonded birds and it is a bit of a chore but extremely rewarding too.

It's quite normal for altricial birds(birds that remain in a nest and are taken care of by parents) to have large abdomens. At the early stages, they really look dumpy and a bit strange.

Baby birds need lots of food and especially food high in protein - so don't feed bread etc. It's always best to provide an assortment of foods so you're sure to provide all essential nutrients - the parents would have been bringing in all kinds of different foods. Insects tend to be the best but stay away from those that have large, hard wings or legs. Mealworms work well (can buy at a pet store) but not a steady diet of these. I used to feed babies about every 20 minutes during the day and nothing at night (the parents are asleep then). If you find that providing enough insects is a problem, a good substitute is dry cat food. Cat food has a higher protein content than dog food so is better. Simply moisten the dry food and feed with a tiny stick or whatever. Sometimes getting a baby to open its mouth and food beg is difficult and you may find you'll have to try a variety of techniques until the bird learns you're its food source. Be sure to take a look at this unit too www.enaturalist.org Good luck.

John Wiessinger ( March 26, 2005)