Some species of newborn birds leave the nest almost immediately to forage on their own, often with at least temporary supervision and protection from their parents.
Common Eider ducklings at the tideline, Halibut Point |
They are able to find their own food immediately or at a very young age,
A long-legged Piping Plover chick on the dunes at Plum Island |
swimming or running precociously before they are able to fly.
Eastern Phoebe at the nest |
Nest-raised birds come into the world with the advantage of a more secure nursery, but their parents are pressed hard to satisfy their voracious appetites from the moment the youngsters break out of their shells.
Green Heron collecting minnows |
The feeding program for nesting birds often moves quickly from regurgitated, partially digested baby food to captured prey brought back whole for the fledglings.
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Brown Thrasher with insect ready for delivery |
It's a race against time and danger to get those juveniles independently doing what birds do best, flying free.
Northern Mockingbird |
Parents may take surreptitious routes with provisions for their concealed families.
Osprey passing
Halibut Point,
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Cardinal carrying a dragonfly |
Herbivorous birds may need to supply animal-based proteins from outside the parents' usual diet at some point in the chicks' development.
Northern Flicker parent and child this week, |
the youngster siphoning food from its parent's throat. |
Hungry fledglings may continue to receive supplemental meals from adults after outgrowing cramped space in the nest.
Barn Swallows on the quarry rim |
This Barn Swallow giving insect hunting lessons to its brood keeps their energy up with occasional morsels delivered on the wing into their gaping mouths..
Common Tern adult and juvenile |
A young tern still learning to fend for itself is revived on an expedition far from its island home by a watchful parent.
These incidents of survival versatility give snapshots into the wonders of the natural world.