How To Care For A Baby Cardinal
Luckily, you found a baby cardinal while venturing out into the wild. But, you don’t see its parents nearby or don’t find the nest. Now, you wonder what you should do.
Should you take it with you and raise it yourself? If you do, then you might be contemplating how to care for a baby cardinal. Well, before describing this matter, let’s tell you petting a cardinal is prohibited in the United States.
Hence, you should call a licensed rehabilitator or take it to a vet after encountering any baby bird. If all options are unavailable, you can then bring the bird to your home and raise it yourself. But ensure you give it the proper care described in this content. Let’s read.
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How To Determine Whether A Baby Cardinal Needs Help Or Not:
After encountering one baby cardinal in the wild, first, you need to observe it closely and determine whether it’s fuzzy or fledgling. If you figure out the bird is feathered, it’s indeed a fledgling.
And once you know that it’s a fledgling, you need to understand that its parent must be nearby. So, the best you can do to help the bird is to leave it alone.
If you see the baby bird in a place where humans, cats, or other animals can pose a danger, you can move the tiny bird to a tree branch. Now let’s talk about what you can do if you notice the baby cardinal is fuzzy.
If you see the parent is around, you can take the bird to the nest or build one nest yourself using your favorite ice cream tub or basket and some grass.
Afterward, you must hang the nest in a shady spot underneath a tree near the cardinal’s nest and then monitor whether the parent cardinal approaches the baby bird or not.
You should call the wildlife rehabilitator if you don’t see the parent cardinal around the baby bird. You shouldn’t take the bird with you and start nurturing it yourself.
FYI, petting cardinals or any other migratory birds is prohibited in the United States according to the law of the migratory bird treaty act of 1918.
However, if you still choose to raise a baby cardinal, the following section is specially designed for you. So, without wasting more time, let’s jump straight into it.
How To Handle A Baby Cardinal With Ultimate Care:
Baby cardinals are incredibly susceptible to damage; they are very fragile. Hence you must be highly cautious while picking them up from the ground.
You must pick them up in a cupped hand instead of picking them up with their heads, legs, or wings. While picking, ensure you hold the baby bird’s lower neck using your thumb and forefinger if the bird tries to wriggle or escape.
That means you must be extremely gentle while handling a baby cardinal. Otherwise, you may cause severe damage to its soft body.
After gently picking it up, you should place the baby bird in a box. Below, we have briefly talked about the enclosure.
How To Place A Baby Cardinal Safely In A Birdhouse Or Box:
You must place the baby bird in a warm area of your house. And to do that, you can keep it inside a container or box and fill the box with shredded papers.
You should never place the baby cardinal on a flat surface as such an action can cause muscular deformity, known as splay legs. If you don’t find a comfy box or container, you can build a nest using hay or straw but ensure you replace these elements frequently.
Besides changing hay or straw, you must provide the bird with warmth by giving it a heat lamp. Or, you can place a heating pad underneath the box or nest to keep the baby cardinal warm for a prolonged period.
How To Feed A Baby Cardinal:
Many birders make the mistake of feeding baby birds traditional pieces of bread. But you shouldn’t follow them as providing bread can do more harm than good.
That said, you can feed the baby cardinal dog or cat food but make sure you soak the food in water overnight and feed the baby cardinal those foods in a mashed form.
You can add soft fruits such as berries and grapes while mashing the cat or dog food. These foods will ensure the baby bird gets the required energy and nutrients to thrive.
After preparing the food, you must feed the baby with a dropper. You can utilize a tweezer to provide the fledgling with solid food as it ages. You must remember that you should feed the baby cardinal every fifteen to thirty minutes from morning to night.
Sometimes, you may need to check the bird at midnight to see if it’s in good condition or not. Raising a baby cardinal will give you the same vibe as raising a human baby. Also, raising a baby bird will require you to put in the same effort as raising a human baby.
How To Make The Transition Into The Wild Smooth:
Once the baby cardinal grows some feathers, you can move it to a larger cage or enclosure. After shifting it into a large cage, you should place solid foods and tree branches to give the bird a cozy environment.
As you know, adult cardinals feed on seeds, grains, berries, and insects; at this stage, you should provide the fledgling with the foods mentioned above.
After a couple of days, install the cage in an outdoor area where your cardinal gets the opportunity to embrace the wilderness. Doing this will help the bird get used to the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.
Once you figure out the cardinal doesn’t need you anymore for food; it can take care of itself, it’s time to release the bird. You must open the cage’s door and let the bird venture into the wild.
We know it will be hard for you to endure the pain of separation, but you must perform this job for the well-being of your beloved raised cardinal.
Nota Bene:
- You should never feed baby cardinals milk or bread; instead, feed them cat or dog food in mashed form. You can also provide them with soft-bodied insects like caterpillars.
- You shouldn’t bother the baby bird frequently except for feeding time. Also, you should regularly clean the bird’s nest or cage to help it avoid infestation.
Wind Up:
Although petting a cardinal is illegal in the United States, still, if you intend to raise one, it will be a rewarding and memorable job. But we don’t support you or recommend you do so. Instead, we recommend helping the bird by calling a wildlife rehabilitator.
You should only care for a baby cardinal if you are left with no option. And how you are gonna do this; we have briefly described this topic in this content. We hope you found it helpful and informative and will share it with your Twitter, and Pinterest friends. This concludes this article.
