Photo by T. Hache
Juvenile White Throated Sparrow

My backyard is quite busy now with juvenile birds of all kinds coming to visit every day.  I am absolutely thrilled with the number of species that are bringing their young ones around to the seed bells and/or platform feeder this summer.  Hairy woodpeckers, Downy woodpeckers, Purple Finches, Evening Grosbeaks, Song Sparrows, White Throated Sparrows, Black Capped Chickadees, Chipping Sparrows, Tree Swallows, Crows, Grackles, Starlings .... all have brought young ones to the backyard this summer.  How I love watching baby birds!
Today, I stood out on the back deck where I just watched and listened to them all.  I noticed that one male Evening Grosbeak had 2 youngsters with him.  They are the cutest things.  One of them desperately wanted to land around the pond but he/she just wasn't sure how to do it.  The bird would fly out of the tree, swoop down to the pond and then just fly in a circle around and over it until it would just go and land back in the tree.  A male Hairy Woodpecker brought his daughter in to teach her how to use the seed bells.  I have them hanging from the top of an 8 foot piece of 4" ABS pipe.  The youngster kept trying to land on the side of the post like it was a tree branch and of course, nothing can get a grip on the side of 4" plastic pipe!  She would try and then she would just slide back down to the platform feeder with a squawk.  Very entertaining! 

Baby birds are quite bold too.  A lot of the time, they will just fly right up to me, not realizing that they really should be scared of me.  They'll sit there looking at me with a very quizzical expression on their face as if to say 'WHAT are YOU??'  Many times, baby birds will still be begging from their parents when they are plenty capable of feeding themselves.  I saw this today with the Purple Finches.  Two adults and a juvenile were on the platform feeder where I had sprinkled some seed this morning.

All three were nibbling away but that young one was still using its begging cries and quivers to entice the male to feed it even though she was picking up seed and eating it by herself just fine!  The male completely ignored her.  Baby birds are hilarious.

Identifying a bird as a juvenile can be very difficult.  Many birders have been both confused and excited by finding a young bird they didn’t initially recognize, hoping it would be a different species that they've never identified before.  Here are some tips for things to watch for so you'll be able to recognize a bird as a juvenile:

Bill Size: Juvenile birds often have bills that seem proportionally too large for their head. This is because their heads have not fully grown and their feathers are not yet covering the edges of the bill, making it seem larger.

Feather Length: Young birds have not grown their full flight feathers, and the feathers on their wings and tail will be noticeably stubbier than on adult birds. The feathers on their breast, flanks and abdomen may also seem fluffier and less organized than those of adult birds.
Color: Many juvenile birds have drab, dull plumage  that is similar to that of an adult female. As they molt, their feathers may have additional speckles, buff edges or other disorganized colors that help camouflage them until they can fly skillfully.

Eye Size: Very young fledglings and nestlings have bulging eyes that seem too big for their head. This should not be very noticeable in birds that are ready to leave the nest, but if the birds were displaced early their eye size can indicate their youth.  I find this remains an accurate way to recognize a juvenile Evening Grosbeak for quite some time after it leaves the nest.

Behavior: Young birds often try to draw the attention of their parents. They may beg for food or flutter their wings, especially when near adults. They may also be uncertain in flight or may visit feeders but seem unsure of how to eat what is offered. It should be noted, however, that many juvenile behaviors, including fluttering and begging, are similar to the courtship of adult birds. Behavior alone is not a sure indication of whether or not a bird is juvenile.
Enjoy the season.  We still have some time to be entertained by the antics of young birds for a while yet.

Some information from About.com

Happy Sightings!
tammie@theecho.ca     826-4561
 

 Advertisement



Subscribe to our new online edition. Visit http://ezread.ca/echo/index.htm to start today. 100% Digital copy of The Echo.