Have you ever what to do if you find an injured or orphaned hummingbird on the ground? If so, this post is intended just for you. It offers tips as to how you should handle the situation. This advice is given cutesy of Project Wildlife and I have just put the information in my own words.
If you find an injured or orphaned hummingbird on the ground, lift it along with the material it is sitting on, and place it on crumpled tissue in a small box with holes in the lid.
The hummingbird should always be placed on tissue or paper towels. Do not use cloth. The reason for this is because the bird’s feet may become entangled in the cloth. You will also want to provide the bird with a low heat source, but be careful not to overheat the bird. The bird is too hot if it starts open-mouth breathing or its neck is outstretched, so be sure and watch for these warning signs.
Due to their extremely high metabolic rates, hummingbirds must eat frequently. A hummingbird will eat between 5-8 times per hour with each feeding lasting about 30 seconds in length. Hummingbirds can die within four hours if not fed. You will want to feed the adult hummingbirds a sugar water mixture of 1 part sugar to four parts water. Hummingbird babies can’t be fed sugar water or commercial hummingbird nectar for more than 24 hours because this may cause the young hummingbirds to develop crippling deformities.
If you need further information regarding injured hummingbirds, please call the Project Wildlife Hotline at 619-225-9202 to get more information. These people have the training and expertise to provide you with the exact information you may need.