BirdWalk Newsletter Magnolia Plantation and Gardens Walks Conducted by Perry Nugent and Ray Swagerty Newsletter Written by Jayne J. Matney 3.11.2018 Carolina Wren Fledgling Photo by Guenter Weber Bird Babies- When is a bird baby considered a chick, a hatchling, a fledgling, or a sub-adult? Do birds develop into maturity at the same rate? Do they always look like their parents?
Although all birds go through the same basic development stages after hatching, the process can span over many different time periods. First of all, the term hatchling is used for birds which have just recently hatched from their egg and up to a few days old. Even at the very beginning, hatchlings can vary depending mostly upon whether they are Altricial or Precocial species. Altricial types of birds are those which are much more dependent on the parents for care in the beginning. They typically have no feathers to speak of. Therefore, they are the ones that will resemble little aliens when first hatched. Sparse in feathers or naked and with closed Mockingbird feeding hatchlings Photo by Angie Bridges eyes, they are completely dependent on parents for warmth, nourishment, and protection. They are not only featherless and blind, but they have musculature which needs to catch up. Therefore, they are clumsy and unable to move properly as hatchlings. However, these types of birds will go through the developmental stages very quickly and are typically out of the nest in just a few weeks. Feathers will grow quickly for these birds and independence comes swiftly behind. The feathers start as pin feathers and will eventually open up from the shaft and begin filling in the surface of the bird. Eyes finally open, these birds exercise their muscles to strengthen them and fortify their abilities. You may see them with patches of naked skin especially around the face and head. To stay hidden, the coloration of these new feathers are usually dull and/or spotted. Once strengthened enough to venture out of the nest, the altricial bird will step off the nest and onto a branch. Feeding becomes less frequent, but they are still dependent on the parent. Eventually, they will leave the nest, fluttering to the ground and
flapping almost useless wings. They will hop around on the ground and stay in shrubbery for cover from predators. It is only a matter of a few days before the bird will begin flight. The parent will still be attentive and watch over and feed the young until the feathers develop and fill in, and until the parent is finished teaching the young bird to care for himself. Altricial birds are usually the smaller, perching birds and woodpeckers. Precocial species of birds, such as ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, and quail, are much more developed when hatched, but will then progress a bit slower through the rest of their development when leaving the Wood Duck family Photo by Cathy Padgett egg. As a hatchling, they are covered in down, eyes are open, and they can move about and swim almost immediately. This is important for their survival, especially if they hatch near water. As they learn to forage for their food, the activity can get quite tiresome at first and they choose to stay close to the parent. These young birds will follow the adult everywhere. Here at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, we see this as the Wood Ducks swim by, in a line, behind the parent, and walk up the ramps to bask in the sunshine. Also, it is not difficult to view a Common Moorhen family as it brings the little ones out to the water s edge to forage for food. The parents stay busy pulling vegetation and stuffing it in the mouths of the young to teach them how to forage for themselves.
No matter which type of bird, Altricial or Precocial, birds go through general developmental stages which we differentiate into: Hatchling, Nestling, Fledgling, Juvenile, Sub-adult, and Adult. These stages are defined, but not always easy to distinguish out in the field. The hatchling is a newly hatched baby bird of up to a few days. At this stage, they are most vulnerable to harsh environmental conditions and prey. They are very needy of the parent. The description of the bird will be determined by the altricial or precocial tendencies at hatching (see photo on left by Angie Bridges) Nestlings generally have been in the nest a few days and are distinctly covered with some down feathers and their eyes are open and aware. They are more active and demanding of food from parents. Great Egret Nestlings (left) photo by Guenter Weber and Great Blue Heron Nestlings (right) photo by Jo Frkovich Fledglings are more distinct by exhibiting the growth, although a bit rag-tag in appearance, of flight feathers. These feathers coming in are stumpier than juvenile s or adult s feathers, but they are definitely distinguishable from the
soft, puffy down feathers. They are still dependent on the parent but may begin to move around more and leave the nest to perch on branches nearby. Early Fledglings (some down feathers and some stumpy feathers coming in) Photo above by Chuck Fuhrman Photo right Jo Frkovich They are still awkward and prefer to hop around rather than fly. Some fledglings have bright colors on the gape and other skin areas. This is to attract the parent s attention. Late Fledgling Stage (almost all feather growth is in but still dependent on parent) Photo above by Jo Frkovich Photo right by Chuck Fuhrman The juvenile has gotten out of the awkward teen stage and is getting around well, but may not be showing
all of the traits of an adult of that species. Different species take longer within this stage. For example, the Little Blue Heron looks much like the adult in structure but remains white with muted legs and beak for a long time. Eventually, they will go into the sub-adult phase, Bald Eagles exhibit this as well, and will gradually change their plumage into the adult colorations, and legs and feet become more vivid. For Little Blue Herons, this may only take a year or so. But for Bald Eagles, this takes around 4 to 5 years. The sub-adult is completely independent of the parent birds. Once adulthood is obtained, birds will look as they should for adult plumage, and they will be sexually mature to begin breeding. Keep in mind that some species transfer into developmental stages rapidly while other take a much longer time. The general rule is that the smaller birds have a more rapid development, while the larger birds, such as raptors, mature more slowly. Little Blue Heron Juvenile Little Blue Heron Sub-adult Little Blue Heron Adult Little Blues go through a distinct, visual transition. First Photo (juvenile) by Guenter Weber Second photo (sub-adult) by Angie Bridges Third photo (adult) by Guenter Weber
The Bald Eagle transition below- photos by Guenter Weber Juvenile Sub-adult Adult Different species of birds have nicknames for their babies. According to The Spruce, Baby Bird Names-General and Specific, chicken babies are called poult while the male babies can be referred to as cockerel and the female babies as pullet. Turkeys also use the term poult, but the male is specifically referred to as a jake, while the female is the jenny. A crane s baby is called a colt, while a duck s is called a duckling. Eagles and owls are easy; they are called eaglets and owlets respectively, but the falcon babies are called eyas. A goose babe is referred to as a gosling, while a swan s baby is called cygnet or flapper. Cheeper or squealer refer to the grouse babies and keet is the term for guinea fowl youngsters. A sandpiper is a peep while a puffin baby is called a puffling. These are simply examples of how the babies in the earlier stages of development can have their own specific names depending upon the species of bird. The consensus from the resources agree that there are steps to be taken, or not taken, to help with baby birds. Some of these factors may surprise you. It is recommended that you do not interfere with a baby bird that you find on the ground if it is in fledgling status because it may simply be learning to flutter the wings and get acclimated to the world outside of the nest. It is recommended that you back away from this bird to prevent it from stressing or moving into a more dangerous situation. You may
want to protect the area from pets or children. It is most likely that the mother bird knows exactly where her young ones are. However, if this bird is in immediate danger, you may transfer this baby to a more suitable position close-by such as under a bush. Unlike the myths, the parent bird will not care about the scent of human handling. If the baby bird remains in that spot for many hours, then intervention may be necessary. You should then contact a rehab facility or veterinary center. The Spruce also lists ways to be helpful to baby birds which fall more in the line of preventatives of problems to come. Some of these steps can also be common to bird feeder recommendations. Provide good nesting materials such as leaves, string, moss, etc. for the use of the parent in order for the babies nest to be made well. Provide appropriately sized and constructed bird houses for specific birds desired. Discourage feral cats in your yard. Cats are major predators to baby birds. Choose yard foliage that promotes hiding places for nests and young birds. Know the dos and don ts when you find a baby bird (discussed previously in this article.) Resources for this article were: Mayntz, Melissa, Names of Baby Birds, How Baby Birds Grow, and Fledgling Bird Definition The Spruce, 11.21.2017 update. To experience something new, to soar, to fly, you must first let go of where you are now. Lisa Wingate, excerpt from Lesson from a River, When You Pass Through Waters
On March 11th, two participants joined Ray Swagerty for a bird walk. Highlights included: a White Pelican as a fly-over, higher numbers of Great Blue Heron, Great Egret and Anhinga for breeding and nesting purposes, two sightings of Barred Owls, two Blueheaded Vireo, both the Golden-crowned and Rubycrowned Kinglets, thirty Northern Parula, twenty plus Pine Warbler, and two Palm Warbler. In addition, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, and Pileated Woodpecker were all available to the viewers. Also seen or heard on this day were: Wood Duck, Gadwall, Bluewinged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, White Ibis, Black and Turkey Vulture, a Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Moorhen, Laughing Gull, Mourning Dove, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, American and Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, and Common Grackle.