Baby birds, especially altricial species that depend on their parents, require frequent feeding with a diet rich in protein and appropriate moisture content. Here are key points on what to feed baby birds:

• A common homemade mixture includes mynah bird pellets or dry dog food soaked in hot water, combined with baby food, turkey, cooked egg yolk, and water to a consistency similar to oatmeal. This provides adequate nourishment without needing extra water, except for initial rehydration

• Baby birds naturally receive insects from their parents to support rapid growth, so protein-rich diets are essential. For insect-eating species, warmed tinned cat food can be suitable; for seed or fruit eaters, warmed fruit-based baby cereal or specialized bird rearing formulas are recommended

• Feeding frequency is very high for newborns-every 20 minutes to every 2-3 hours depending on age. Newly hatched chicks may be fed 6-10 times daily, gradually reducing feedings as they grow and start eating on their own

• Homemade hand-feeding formulas often include boiled egg mashed with oatmeal or cornmeal and water to create a paste, mimicking the regurgitated protein-rich food parent birds provide

• Avoid feeding milk to baby birds as it can harm them

• Feeding tools like syringes, small spoons, or tweezers can be used, and care must be taken not to overfeed-feed only until the crop (a pouch in the neck) appears full

• As baby birds grow and become fledglings, introduce natural foods and encourage self-feeding by placing food in their enclosure

In summary, baby birds need a high-protein, moist diet fed frequently, often consisting of soaked pellets or dry food mixed with egg and baby food, or commercial formulas, with careful attention to feeding frequency and method to mimic natural feeding by parent birds.