Canada (British Columbia)
Jun 17 2024
juvenile, outside normal range
After all the recent spectacular shots - this may seem a bit underwhelming. However, a record shot (shot for personal reasons). We had a Robin's nest in the backyard this year. The eggs were still unhatched June 1st. Incredibly by June 17th, this was one of at least 3 birds that fledged. It was stressful. The Robin parents (espcially the mother) were calling out every day, most hours of the day as if a predator was around. Although we did see Racoons and cats on occasion, most of the time it almost seemed as a tactic to distract. After hatching, we were keeping an eye from the window on the numerous crows in the area. This particular photo was one of the fledglings about 20 ft up in a cherry tree some 30 yards from the nest. They stayed well-hidden, and almost silent except for some high-pitched sounds to let the parents know where they were. The speed at which they went from hatching to this photo (just about 2 weeks) was stagerring - though I haven't studied biology and so I presume that is standard :)
Delta, BC
Delta, BC
Jul 1 2024
You are quite right about the ‘instant bird’ phenomenon. The rate of growth is phenomenal among smaller birds. That’s what you get with a high protein diet.
I didn’t realize how quickly they grew. It almost didn’t seem real or possible, but has certainly peaked my interest in knowing more about biology
If you think that’s something, warblers go from egg to chick in about 11 days and fledge about 10 days later but will still be fed by the parents for a while after that. I’ve known this for many years but it is still incredible for me.