Aww! Good for you for giving this a try! I don't have any experience with injured hummingbirds, but I have found lots of injured wildlife in my time and usually I just take them to a rehab place. Since there isn't one around you, the best thing I can suggest is to call a wildlife rehabilitation place. Maybe they'll be able to give you some ideas that you hadn't thought of yet that can help your birdie. Since he is at least eating, that's definitely a good sign though!

Good luck!

It sounds like you're doing the best possible job that you can. Warmth is important, so I'm glad to hear that the weather is warm. Make sure you supply extra heat (heat lamp or hot water bottle) if it gets cold at night. The bird will do OK for awhile with just sugar water, but you are right that it definitely will need protein in the diet to do well long term, especially to grow back those feathers.

I used to work in an aviary, and we mixed protein powder and bee pollen into the hummingbird sugar water mixture. Can you get to a health food type store, or order it online for fast delivery? I'm sorry but I don't remember what the exact formula was, but I know that the nectar mixture looked cloudy with the powder mixed in, and the solids in the powder would settle at the bottom after time went by. Still, it's probably best not to put huge amounts in--just a little at first. We had hummingbirds that lived for 10 years or more drinking this mixture, plus fruit flies. Occasionally, I mix small amounts into my sugar water mix, and the wild hummingbirds (Ruby-throated) like it just fine. These days, I'm using GeniSoy brand, which comes from soybeans, and also has lots of vitamins added. I don't remember what we used at the aviary. We also had bowls of rotting fruit pieces to attract fruit flies, so I really think you should keep doing that, even though the bird is too disabled to catch them right now. As he regains his strength, he may be able to.

I hope this helps, and that your little patient will make a speedy recovery. You are a very kind person. Let us know how he does, even if the ending is sad.

How is the hummingbird ? I hope the little bird is doing better. Please let us know.

Hi. Thanks for all the kind answers.
The bird is fine. I'm feeding him very small amounts of powdered soy beverage mixed into his nectar, at least until I drive to the GNC this weekend. I think the soy powder is fine, but it includes milk serum, so I'll try to find in GNC a protein mix that is just soy and vitamins. I'll get the polen during the weekend too.

He can now fly to the front, but can't hover or fly backwards (I imagine because he only has 3 feathers on the tail), so I guess it's still unsafe for him to be released, as he can't catch the fruit flies I've given him yet.

Does anybody knows how many days will it take to grow his tail feathers back? Is there something I can do to speed up the process?

Thank you.

Pedroc,
I dont have a clue if his tail feathers will grow back. I have seen pictures or hummers missing their tail feathers. Hopefully someone else will answer thatquestion. I`m just so happy to hear that the little hummer is doing okay.I think you are such a wonderful person ,and to take the time out of your day to help this little bird.

I'm glad to hear the bird is doing alright. It's very encouraging that he can fly and drink the sugar water mixture. You are wise to leave milk out of the diet, and I'm glad to hear you're getting the soy-based powder.

As far as feather growth rate goes, I'm not exactly sure for hummingbirds, but I have rehabilitated some birds with missing feathers, and it can take a few weeks for them to grow back. I'm sure growth rates can vary based on a lot of factors. From my experience, for a bird this size, the feathers may grow a few millimeters a day. I'm thinking at least a millimeter, and maybe as many as 3 or 4. I don't know how long the tail feathers are on this bird, but do the math and I think it could take as long as 3 or 4 weeks for the feathers to grow back completely. In a couple of weeks, though, they might be long enough to allow the bird to fly pretty well. I'm not claiming to know for sure with this particular species of hummingbird, but I'm thinking they should be pretty similar to other small birds.

One other thing. Can I assume that these feathers are completely missing--pulled out entirely with nothing left but an empty follicle? If so, that's good news because they will grow back naturally. However, if they are somehow broken off, they won't grow back at all and will have to wait until the next molt to be replaced. That might not be until the fall! Worse yet, if they're broken off, and you didn't want to wait for the molt, you would have to pull the broken feathers out yourself to stimulate regrowth. If there are a lot of broken feathers, this could be a long, slow process. This is because pulling out a lot of broken feathers all at one time would be very hard on the bird, and would take a huge amount of energy to replace all at once. For that reason, it would be best to pull them a few at a time, wait for them to grow in, then pull some more.

I hope they're just missing, and not broken. That's the more common situation. Keep up the good work, and keep us posted!

Just wondering. Do you know what species of hummingbird you have? Is it maybe a Broad-billed hummingbird (=Cynanthus latirostris)? I don't have a guide to the hummingbirds of Mexico, but I'm thinking it could be this species.

Hi, have you tried feeding it flightless fruit flies? They are bred specially to feed small pet frogs, like the poison arrow frogs, or to feed other small reptiles that eat small flies.

You will probably have to special order them.

Could we have an update on your little hummingbird? I'm afraid that since you've stopped writing, maybe it will be sad news. I still would like to know, and hope against hope that he's gradually improving. If not, I'm sure you did all you could. Maybe he had an illness that just couldn't be cured. But hey, I'll try to be positive and hope for good news!

I've been reading your postings, and have a similar situation. I came home to find a small hummingbird stuck fast to one of my Aphid&Whitefly gluecard traps. I never dreamed in a million years that these would ensnare one of our precious hummingbirds, and I was shocked.
I easily dissolved the wings from the gluecard with WD-40 (the first remedy that I could think of) but he had already lost quite a few wing feathers. Plus now he was drenched in the oil. We cleaned him up with Q-tips, then laid him on a bed of shredded paper towels to help soak up the remaining moisture and oil.
He began drinking almost immediately from the feeder, and has recovered nicely. However, he can only flutter and not fly. I have him in a hamster cage. I put a small stick in for a perch and he hopped up on it right away.
He feeds regularly from the nectar that I put in the cage, but I will have to try the protein and bee pollen tomorrow.
Thanks for the ideas.
My wife named him Chocolate Chip, because he has black spots on his gray breast.

You can contact the Hummingbird Society for any additional advice. Ross Hawkins is their director. Also, it appears this hummer is quite comfortable being around you! That is a good sign, and with no pun intended, this hummer appears to be in good hands!

In the US, there are avian rehabilitators that care for injured birds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rehabber list

even though this page appears to be several years old I found it highly informative as I also have rescued a hummingbird who is missing several feathers making it impossible to fly. I found this site by asking the internet how long it would take the feathers to grow back. One thing that I want to add to this is about getting protein into the hummingbird because I read it really shouldn't go more than 24 hours on just sugar water alone. I put mashed up boiled egg yolk into the sugar water that I was feeding her from a syringe and she loves it and has been getting noticeably stronger every day! Then I also added some sliced fruit and some fruit flies to her container and she has been eating the fruit flies that are on the fruit. I think she is getting very healthy so far....on day 4 and she is very spunky, just still can't fly.

I know this is an old post but this info may help someone at some point when a Licensed Rehabber is unavailable. The only product I know of that provides a balanced diet for hummingbirds is Nekton Nektar-Plus. It is quite expensive but available thru Amazon. No bug catching or protein supplements required.

Hello all, I had a similar experience with a hummer I found in distress perched on one of my feeders. His bill was a little crooked, I assume from fightin all season with the other birds. I'm not sure if it was a male but I called him a he anyways. He was all puffed out like a cotton ball not moving in the middle of the day and I picked him up and brought him inside. Luckily I had a syringe and a small bird cage. I tried the usual sugar water and his tongue flicked in a few times but he didn't revive. I knew they needed protein so I broke open an egg yolk- no egg white- and I scooped out the inner yellow yolk leaving the membrane in the bowl. I added the yolk to incorporate into the sugar water and put it to his beak. He lapped that mixture up and within 10 seconds he was buzzing around inside the cage! I released him and from then on fixed him a sugar water egg yolk feeder of his very on and changed it at least 3 times a day! It is imperative to clean the feeder thoroughly between changings! I didn't have a rehabber nearby and this was the only way I knew to help the lil guy and it worked! He got so fat and I would catch the other hummers sneak in to drink from his feeder also. I assume he migrated back down south with the other birds and I can only wish good things for him. I named him BB :)

I'm in Alabama but I can try to help. The red dye is bad for the bird. Get 1/4thcup filtered water and add a bit of sugar bout 2tbsp melt n microwave for 30 seconds, stir till sugar is melted, add another 1/4th cup cold filtered water, crack an egg and get just the yolk (very important just the inside yolk) about 1tbsp full add to the water mixture, fill ur syringe and put it up to his mouth. He should start sticking his tongue in and out drinking a lot! Try this and let me know what happens!

His beak won't open to lap nectar it only sticks tongue in and out. They need a good bit of protein to fuel their high metabolism. That's where the egg yolk comes in.

The red dye is bad for their little kidneys. It's a myth they need red nectar, distilled/filtered sugar water plus the bugs they catch is all they need. Time is of the essence here because hummers can die on you quick. Im gonna keep a check on here and help walk you through this. Where are you located?

Keep a top on the clothes hamper because once he takes off you won't be able to catch him. He may have gotten dehydrated, ate a bug that had pesticide on it, been bullied by a bigger male or any other host of reasons but I'm very thankful you're willing to help this baby :) thank you for that! Egg yolk in the sugar water brought my BB back to life within 10 seconds

Your hummer doesn't look stressed which is good! U see the pic of BB how his bottom looks fluffed up? That's called "lace bloomers" or "lace panties" happens when hummers are under stress and I don't see that in your bird. Is there any way to rig the syringe to the hamper basket so he can get to it from the perch? After you give him egg yolk sugar water watch him and see if he starts buzzin around. He's going to need egg yolk sugar water every 5-10min depending on the sugar water ratio while he's awake. You may have a juvenile I really can't tell but he looks big enough to be able to fly. With some TLC he may just make it and be able to release back outside! Have y'all or neighbors sprayed for bugs recently outside, any crop fields nearby? Cats? Bully hummers?

I am in Texas, I had a humming bird get stuck in a feeder it had a ring for them to stand on. I trashed the feeder! It is eating sugar water with egg yolk just fine. Buzzes in the cage, can't fly. Eats on its own too. I hope it can flffly soon.

My neighbor found a hatchling in there yard about a month ago. They gave it to me to rehab. he is doing well & eats like a horse. i sometimes give him just sugar water & yolk ,water and bugs in water other times. Grinding them up works very well.

I am concerned that most of the time I use freeze dried bugs & don’t know much nutrition he gets from it. I do use live meal worms & fruit flies some but I just don’t have time to prepare but work everyday.

My major concern is his feathers. He has very few around his neck. Is there something wrong or is he just not ready yet.

Nektar Plus Nectar Concentrate For Lories And Hummers, 600Gm / 1.3Lb https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YC912VG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Qu1gDbAJ2VFM6

Contains all the nutrients any age hummy needs. No bug prep or anything else.

Should be feathered after a month. These birds are 21 days old: