Blue jays are one of the most common backyard birds in North America. They are also one of the most beautiful, with their blue feathers and white “bibs”. Blue jays are not shy and will often come right up to you, especially if you have food.
If you have a baby blue jay in your yard, you may be wondering how to feed it. The good news is that it is not difficult to feed a baby blue jay, and there are a few different ways to do it.
- Fill a small dish with bird seeds or nuts
- Place the dish within reach of the baby blue jay
- Watch as the baby bird eats from the dish
- Enjoy seeing the beautiful creature up close!
What Do You Do If You Find a Baby Blue Jay?
If you find a baby blue jay, the best thing to do is to leave it where you found it. The parents are probably nearby and will take care of the baby. If you try to take care of the baby yourself, you might inadvertently do more harm than good.
Baby blue jays need to be kept warm, so if you find one that appears cold or weak, you can gently pick it up and place it in a shoebox lined with a soft cloth.
Make sure to punch holes in the lid for ventilation. Place the box in a quiet, dark place away from pets and children.
Check on the baby every few hours to make sure it is warm and has enough food and water. If possible, contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center for advice on how to care for the baby blue jay.
They will have experience caring for these birds and will be able to give you specific instructions on what to do next.
How Long Can a Baby Blue Jay Go Without Eating?
A baby blue jay can go without eating for about 8 hours. However, if it is not able to find food within that time frame, it will likely die.
How Often Do You Feed a Baby Blue jay?
A baby blue jay will typically be fed every 2-3 hours, though this may increase to every hour as the bird grows older and hungrier.
The amount of food given at each feeding will also increase as the bird gets older; a good rule of thumb is to offer 1/2 teaspoon of food per week of age (e.g., a 4-week-old blue jay would get 2 teaspoons of food per feeding).
How Do You Save a Blue Jay Fledgling?
If you find a blue jay fledgling that has fallen from its nest, there are some things you can do to help. First, make sure that the bird is actually in need of help.
Fledglings are often mistaken for orphans because they are not yet fully feathered and they may spend time on the ground while learning to fly.
However, their parents are usually still nearby and will continue to care for them. If the fledgling appears injured or sick, however, it will need your help.
Here are some tips for rescuing and caring for a blue jay fledgling:
- Gently pick up the bird and place it in a small box or cage lined with soft fabric or paper towels. Make sure the cage has plenty of ventilation holes.
- Keep the bird warm by placing the cage near a heat source such as a lamp or heating vent. You can also cover part of the cage with a light towel to provide additional warmth.
- Provide food and water for the bird by placing small dishes inside the cage within reach of the bird. Baby birds need a diet of insects, so offer small caterpillars, flies, or other soft-bodied insects if you have them available. You can also purchase special insectivore baby bird food at most pet stores. Soak dry cat food in water until it forms a mushy consistency and offers this as well if you cannot find any live insects.
- Avoid giving milk as it can cause diarrhea. Never feed a baby bird anything larger than its head, as this could damage its crop (an organ used to store food) or suffocate it. Also, avoid offering human foods such as breadcrumbs, as these do not contain enough nutrients for growing birds.
- Give fresh water daily and missed the bird with clean water from a spray bottle every few hours to keep its feathers hydrated.
- Keep noise and activity around the cage to a minimum so as not to disturb. The fledgling watch for signs that it is improving, such as increased alertness, flapping its wings or attempting to fly.
How to Give a Baby Blue Jay Water?
If you find a baby blue jay that seems to be in distress, one of the things you can do to help is give it some water. You will need to use a syringe or eyedropper to do this, as the bird’s mouth is very small.
Fill the syringe or eyedropper with lukewarm water, and then gently insert it into the bird’s mouth. Be careful not to put too much pressure on the bird’s throat, and allow it to drink at its own pace.
If you have any concerns about doing this yourself, you can always take the baby blue jay to a wildlife rehabilitator who will be able to help.
Conclusion
If you have ever seen a baby blue jay, you know that they are absolutely adorable. They are also very fragile and need to be fed properly in order to survive. Here is a quick guide on how to feed a baby blue jay.
First, you will need to find some insects for the baby blue jay to eat. You can either catch them yourself or purchase them from a pet store.
Second, you will need to mash up the insects so that the baby blue jay can easily eat them. Third, using a syringe or dropper, slowly feed the mashed-up insects to the baby blue jay.
Fourth, make sure to keep an eye on the baby blue jay and make sure that it is getting enough food and water. If you follow these steps, you will be able to successfully feed a baby blue jay!
