Baby birds can be soooo cute as these young Barn Swallows illustrate. Though they look a lot like adult Barn Swallows they still have the yellow-orange mouths that when opened make brightly colored targets for parents to aim the food into. As noted on the photo above, these are actually fledglings that have returned (after fledging, or leaving the nest for the first time) to the nest to roost.
I think baby owls, like the recently fledged W. Screech Owl in the photo just above, are just adorable. Their big round eyes are so appealing. And though some young fledglings like this one do not fly well, their parents are nearby to feed and help them. So don’t forget–don’t ‘rescue’ fully feathered baby birds as you are taking them from their parents who are best suited to raise them. Here is information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology on how to tell when, and when not, to rescue a baby bird.
The young Yellow Warbler above is being fed by it’s parent. I have found parent birds to be most often very responsible in taking good care of their offspring.
Some waterfowl, like the Grebe above, carry their babies on their backs, safely tucked into their warm. Like this baby, they can poke their heads out to see the big world out there from the comfort and protection of their parent. You know all their feathers make a very soft bed.
More information on what to do if you find a baby bird is in a recent blog article here. And Jill posted some excellent tips on observing baby birds safely.
What baby birds are you seeing?
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There is a wonderful Osprey cam with 3 little hatchlings being fed in the nest:
http://explore.org/#!/live-cams/player/live-osprey-cam
Thank you , this is a great web cam
you don’t say…caption for the cute peeps…”there’s no place like home!”
Hi Marion–great caption! Especially appropriate for the Western Grebe whose babies are carried on her back.
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