Injured Hummers

The Hummingbird Society provides this page to direct you to sources of information that we believe will be most helpful. Our mission is to promote the understanding and conservation of hummingbirds, and rehabilitation and care of injured hummingbirds lies outside of that mission. Because of this, you should consult these other sources first. Here are some general principles which you should know:

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• Hummingbirds fed on a diet of sugar-water alone will die, and full-nutrition formula for them is not available to the general public. You must seek competent, licensed help to assure a bird's survival, and you must do it quickly. DO NOT just feed a hummingbird water only, they need sustainable energy for them to survive. DO NOT feed honey, molasses, or any other things like that. Feed them one part sugar to four parts water while you get them to a licensed rehabilitator ASAP. 

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• Keeping a hummingbird in captivity is a felony offense in the U.S., as is possession of a nest or any part of the bird (such as a feather!)--all of which is another reason to transfer the hummingbird to a rehabilitator.

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• Mother hummingbirds rarely abandon a nest, although it can and does happen. Never assume that abandonment has occurred; you must watch continuously for at least an hour, sometimes more, to be sure she is not returning. In general, if the chicks look healthy, the mother is taking good care of them. Feedings can be extremely quick and surprisingly infrequent in some stages of the chick's development.

RESOURCES

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Your local wildlife rehabilitation facility for instructions is the best first step!

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Animal Help Now   This is a great source. Type in your city, zip, ect., and select which animal you need help with. 

Project Wildlife (an exceptionally useful web site)

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Terry Masear (Rehabilitator)     Phone: (310) 804-3715      Email: tmasear@gmail.com

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Billy Harvey (Rehabilitator)        Phone: (928) 821-0098       Cornville, AZ