Caring for an animal can be tricky, especially if it’s a wild animal. If you discover an injured animal in the wild, most wildlife experts would recommend that you contact a wildlife rescuer to find out what to do next. But, that’s not always an option.
When a boy found an injured baby hummingbird, he was determined to do everything he could do to save the tiny creature. For weeks, he fed the bird several times a day with an eyedropper full of a mixture of sugar water and crushed flies, a proper diet for a hummingbird. According to thespruce.com, hummingbirds eat a variety of foods and require a lot of nutrition to keep their tiny bodies healthy.
“Nectar, either from suitable flowers or sugar water solutions, is the most abundant and most popular source of hummingbird food. The large amount of sucrose in nectar gives hummingbirds the necessary energy for their high metabolism, swift flight and energetic lives. Because nectar is liquid, it also supplies the birds’ necessary water, and hummingbirds do not typically drink from other water sources. Nectar does not, however, meet hummingbirds’ needs for protein, amino acids and different vitamins and minerals, and they must eat other things to have a balanced and healthy diet.”
They also eat other things:
“Small insects, larvae, insect eggs and spiders are critical food sources for hummingbirds. Insects provide the fat, protein and salts the birds cannot derive from nectar, and these are crucial nutritional components, especially for rapidly growing hatchlings.”
And when nothing else is available, tree sap will do:
“When nectar is scarce, hummingbirds will sip tree sap from wells drilled by woodpeckers. While the tree sap is not as sweet as floral nectar, it still provides an adequate source of sucrose for a hummingbird’s energy needs.”
Fortunately, because of this young man’s dedication, the baby hummingbird survived. He wrote about the little bird’s eventual healing and progress in the wild:
“When she thought she was ready to leave (and she was) she flew off to her favorite patch of the backyard, and her instincts instantly kicked in, and now she’s just like all the other hummingbirds. For those that are concerned that she has imprinted on humans and wouldn’t survive in the wild, don’t worry, she is thriving. She has even successfully migrated and returned back to my yard.”
Kudos to this kid for showing compassion for nature and saving a tiny life. Watch their journey in the video below.
