I found a duckling! What should I feed it and when can I release it?

Cuteness overload! Ducklings should be given access to enough water that they ate not going to run out. I would go to somewhere like tractor supply and pick up a water dispenser. This will help keep things sanitary. Diet wise a good chick starter feed should be sufficient unless you can find a duckling specific food. High protein at first is best like 20 percent or more. Consider adding something like brewer's yeast as well to the diet to cover additional vitamin requirements. If you end up keeping them for longer, their nutritional requirements will change.

Contact your veterinary clinic. They can provide information regarding any local wildlife rehabilitators. The duckling can be care for until it recovers. This will give it the best chance at eventual release back into the wild.

The best solution would be to contact a local wildlife rehabilitator. One in your area specializing in avians should be able to identify it. The bird looks to be healthy, so you've been doing a good job. The rehabber can confirm this then let you know when the bird can be released. Search online, contact a local veterinary clinic or check the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website to find a rehabilitator.

Pretty cool! You don;t really have to feed her as she will look for food in her environment. However you can get a bag of poultry food (not chicken food) and feed her about 6 feet from the nest. Make sure you have a container with some water nearby as well. Poultry food is a mix of food that can be fed to ducks, turkeys and chickens and other fowl. Apart from that, try not to disturb the duck as she may leave the nest if she feels disturbed.

Hello, the little bird likely fell out of his nest. If it hasn't been too long, you can take it back to where you got him to see if his nest and mother is still there, which would be best case scenario. Otherwise, it may take him some time to learn to fly on his own and you'll have to wait until his flight feathers grow fully. In the interim, you may continue to feed him baby food, or you may start to offer seeds, fruits, and veggies. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello, and thanks for your question. That's a raptor - a bird of prey. It is a carnivore (meat eater), and should absolutely NOT be kept as a pet. It's a wild animal, and many raptors are protected by law. I recommend touching base with your local university and/or veterinary hospital. They should be able to connect you with a local ornithologist (bird expert) or wildlife rehabilitator, who will best be able to care for this bird. Without knowing more about the bird and being able to examine it, I cannot guide you further. Male and female raptors often look very similar, so I can't tell you which it is from these photos. I suspect it's a juvenile (young bird) since it's not immediately flying away from you - so it may not yet be able to live on its own if you were to simply release it, depending on how long it's been captive. I encourage you to do the right thing for this beautiful wild animal, and make sure it finds its way into the hands of someone who is knowledgeable in the area of raptor care. I hope this helps! All the best to you!

If the duckling is wild it would be best to seek out the help of a local wildlife refuge or rehab center that can safely treat and raise the baby until it is ready to go back out into the wild. Runny eyes and sneezing can be a sign of infection or respiratory illness, so keeping the baby warm, and eating and drinking may help until you can transfer it somewhere for care.