So if something happened to her, there will be no other parent to help out. Note, only the hummingbird mother raises the chick – there is no helpful dad. If the chick is injured or you know that it is orphaned your help will be necessary for its survival. If she doesn’t within a couple of hours, then immediately call a wildlife rehabilitation center. So look out for mother hummingbird to come around. However, if it is relentlessly calling its absent mother, it may be an orphan in need of assistance. The best you can do for them is to keep children, dogs and cats away until it flies off. Unlike nestlings, which will usually remain still when you approach them and pick them up, fledglings will make short flights to get away from them. Again, keep a lookout for the mother, and if she doesn’t appear, or if the baby won’t stay in the nest, call a wildlife rehabilitator.įledglings: Leave older, fully feathered chicks that are apparently learning to fly alone. If the nestling is well-feathered and can perch, but can’t fly: Put it back in the nest if you can. If you don’t see the mother come back within one hour, contact a wildlife rehabilitation center (first choice) or vet (second choice) near you. The chicks will call their mom when they are hungry and she will find them.ĭiscreetly keep an eye on the nest to make sure mom is coming back to care for the chick(s). You couldn’t just place it on the ground – ants and other predators would soon kill it. If the chick is not fully feathered (hatchling or nestling), then you need to provide a make-shift nest. Its mother will be able to locate it by its calls. If the chick is fully feathered (likely fledgling), place it on an interior branch of a shrub, where it is hidden and, therefore, somewhat protected from predators. Look around for the nest and, if you find it, place the chick gently back into the nest. If the mother isn’t coming back within 1 hour, contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center. Remain at a safe distance as your presence would stop her from approaching the nest. So it is important to keep an eye on them. Sometimes hungry nestlings will jump out of their nest if their mother isn’t coming back to feed them.

If you have trouble attaching the new nest, you may need to tie or tape it to the branch. If this is the case, construct a make-shift nest and place all chicks into it. They may also fall out if the nest is too small to accommodate all chicks. Therefore, watch to make sure mother returns within 1 to 2 hours if not, call a wildlife rehabilitator. The mother won’t abandon them because of “human smell.” This is an old wives tale that has long been proven wrong.įeathered-but-flightless hummingbird nestlings often jump out of the nest if orphaned. If not, they may be broken).ĭo not worry about touching the chicks. The chick should be able to pull them back into proper position. Sometimes, the chicks may fall out of the nest, but that doesn’t mean that they have been abandoned.įirst verify that the chick is not injured (check for blood and broken limps – gently extend the legs / wings. If mom isn’t seen within an hour or two (for smaller chicks 1 hour, older chicks 2 hours), please contact a wildlife rehabilitation center or bird vet. Due to their high metabolism, they will starve to death very quickly. Something may have happened to their mother and they may need your help. If you hear them call for extended period without seeing their mother around, keep an eye on them.

If you have cats, you may want to keep them indoors, if there is a bird nest in the garden that the cat could easily reach. Hungry chicks specifically are relentlessly calling their mother and this will also attract predators. Your presence may stop her from feeding her chicks. Often, the chick’s mother is near the nest waiting for you to leave so that she can tend to her young. If you come across hummingbird chicks in the nest that don’t appear to be in distress (injured or in immediate danger), it is best to leave them alone. If in doubt, it is best to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center. Please note that there may be laws (state / Federal / country) against capturing or even (technically) touching a wild bird without a permit. Hummingbird Information … Species (Listing as well as by Location)

Hummingbird nest