our stories: WILDLIFE
Big Bird:
Baby Bird to
The Trials of Parenting
BY KRISTIN AUGUSTINE
MAY 2016
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
P
arenting is a tough job. You work dawn to dusk to earn
a living and to keep bread on the table, you knock
yourself out teaching them life skills, and what thanks do
you get? “Mom, I’m hungry. Got any extra bugs?” and
“Dad, I’ve gotta stay here for a few more days, just until
I get on my feet, okay?” Fledging babies is a tough job,
but it has got to be done. Born both featherless and blind,
songbird nestlings spend the first few days able to do little
more than raise their heads and open their mouths. But
that’s enough to encourage mom and (usually) dad to fill
those hungry mouths with soft insects about every 20 min
utes.
As they grow, nestlings become even louder and more
insistent. You can tell when mom or dad are approaching
the nest because the kids all start screeching for attention.
“Over here!” “No, no, no, no, not here; me first this time!”
“Me, me, me, me, ME!” The feeding intervals increase,
the size of the meals increase, and the intensity of hungry
cries definitely increase.
When baby songbirds leave the nest--about three
52
weeks after hatching--they are fully feathered and very
nearly the size of their parents. But parental responsibility
doesn’t end when the kids leave home. Since Mom may
be nesting again, Dad will often take the lead in working
with the fledglings, teaching them how to hunt, what to
eat, and where the best feeders are.
You’ll recognize juvenile birds by their juvenile behav
ior. A young songbird, fully as large as an adult, will
perch on a limb or sit on the ground, wings spread and
quivering, trying to catch the attention of a nearby adult.
“I can’t possibly be expected to fly. What am I doing with
these huge feet? They’re going to get in the way, you
know.” And “Hey! I’m hungry!”
The kids do look pitiful and starved, even though they
are quite capable of feeding themselves. The need for
help is gone, but the behavior persists. Juveniles tend to
screech and to shove their wide-open mouths in the path
of any passing adult. This ploy is apparently successful
often enough that some young keep at it for a while after
leaving the nest.