Fledglings in Florissant

I've had a family of Robins in my backyard the last few weeks and it has been enjoyable watching the young practice their new voices, take clumsy short flights across the yard, make exaggerated pounces on real or imagined prey and watch the furious food begging that consists of rapid wing fluttering and high pitched peeps.

In fact, I have seen quite a bit of family activity in Florissant. Before we go any further, let's review some definitions related to nesting.

A nest with eggs is called a clutch. Some bird species, such as Mourning Doves, will have several clutches during the summer. A clutch is sometimes called a brood.

Chicks that have hatched and are in the nest are called nestlings.

Chicks that have left the nest, but have only moved to nearby branches or a ledge, are called branchers. This usually refers to Raptors (Birds of Prey).

Chicks that have completely left the nest and are able to fly on their own are known as fledglings. The act of leaving the nest is called fledging. Despite their new independence, the parents will still feed these young birds.

Chicks that hatch naked and helpless are altricial. Songbird young take an average of 12 days to grow and develop before they are capable of fledging.

Chicks that emerge feathered and are ready to move within hours of hatching are precocial. Ducklings are a good example of precocial young.

Back to the Florissant fledglings. A Mourning Dove built a nest on the ledge above the back door at Historic Florissant . I was able to monitor this nest from inside the entryway.

Chicks about 2 - 3 days after hatching.

How quickly they grow.

This bird flew after I took this picture.This may have been his first flight.

My father-in-law took this picture of an adult European Starling feeding its chick.

This is also the time of year when I receive many questions about young birds. It has been my observation that newly fledged birds don't seem to be as afraid of the potential dangers around them and/or their wings aren't strong enough for them to flee those perceived threats. Consequently, people often come across these birds and think they are helpless or abandoned.

Let's dispel some myths and discuss what you can do if you come across a chick on the ground.

If you find a chick that doesn't have many feathers, this is obviously a nestling and it will not be able to fly. If you can find the nest, place the chick back in its nest.  Birds DO NOT have a sense of smell (well, the only bird species that can smell are the vultures) so your touching the nestling will not cause the adult to abandon the chick.
If you cannot find the nest, you can either create an artificial nest with a margarine tub or other similar round object and attach it as best you can close to the place you found the nestling. OR, if you happen to find a nearby nest, place that chick in the nest. As long as the bird species is similar in size, the newest member of the nest will be ok. For example, it's ok to place a Cardinal nestling in a Robin's nest, but do not place a Goldfinch chick in the nest of a Blue Jay. The adult will either kill the chick, or kick it out of the nest. Either way, it will not end well for the nestling.

If you find a fully feathered fledgling (it can be a raptor or songbird) but the adult is nowhere around, DO NOT assume the chick is abandoned. The adult will usually be within range. It may be in the next yard or hidden in the highest part of a tree. As long as you are near the chick, the adult will not approach. Sometimes the adult will leave the chick alone for long periods of time. It may seem counter intuitive, but the best thing you can do is simply leave the chick alone.

That same fully feathered bird may appear to have a difficult time flying or seem like it cannot fly. But don't worry. Like babies learning to crawl before walking, flying for fledgers is a process. It takes time for the wing muscles to develop strength and for the young bird to learn the nuances of flight.

If you see an owlet that is feathered, but obviously cannot fly, don't panic. Branchers sometimes fall and that owlet will be able to climb up the tree back to safety.

Post your chick-related questions and experiences here!