Home › Disputes with neighbors › What do birds do to raise their chicks? Raising chicks. Lice on a bird of prey chick

What do birds do to raise their chicks? Raising chicks. Lice on a bird of prey chick

Every year, in order to raise their offspring, the vast majority of birds make nests. In temperate latitudes and cold countries, nesting begins in the spring and ends in the summer, when the chicks are comparable in size to adult birds. But this does not happen everywhere. After all, there are many places on the globe where there is no change of seasons. In some tropical countries, summer lasts all year, in other places there is an annual change of dry and rainy seasons.

How, then, can we determine the breeding time of birds? The rule is general for the entire globe: birds begin nesting at such a time that the feeding of the brood and the first days of life of the chicks outside the nest occur during the most food-rich time. If it is spring and summer here, then in the savannas of Africa most birds nest immediately after the rains begin, when the vegetation develops wildly and many insects appear. The exception here is birds of prey, especially those that feed on ground animals. They nest only during drought. When the vegetation burns out, it is easy for them to find their prey on the ground, which has nowhere to hide. Birds nest in tropical forests all year round.

It is usually believed that all birds, when hatching their chicks, build special nests for incubating eggs. But this is not so: many birds that nest on the ground do without a real nest. For example, a small brownish-gray nightjar lays a pair of eggs directly on the forest floor, most often on fallen pine needles. A small depression is formed later because the bird sits in the same place all the time. The subpolar guillemot also does not build nests. She lays her single egg on a bare rock ledge on the shoreline. For many gulls and waders, a small depression in the sand is enough; sometimes they use the footprint of a deer hoof.

The nightjar bird nests directly on the ground. The white shell near the nest helps parents find their chicks in the dark.

Birds that raise their chicks in hollows and burrows do not make a real nest. They are usually content with a small bedding. Wood dust can serve as litter in hollows. In the kingfisher, the litter in the burrow consists of small bones and fish scales, in the bee-eater - from the chitinous remains of insects. The woodpecker usually does not occupy a ready-made hollow. With his strong beak he hollows out a new hollow for himself. The bee-eater spends about 10 days digging a one-and-a-half or even two-meter passage with its beak in the soft clay of a cliff, which ends in an expansion - a nesting chamber. Real nests are made by birds that nest in bushes and trees. True, not all of them are made skillfully. A turtle dove, for example, places several twigs on tree branches and somehow holds them together.

Blackbirds build good cup-shaped nests, and the song thrush smears the inside with clay. The birds, working from morning until late evening, spend about three days building such a nest. The finch makes a nest that is warm, like felt, and also has a soft lining, masking it on the outside with pieces of moss, scraps of lichen, and birch bark. The golden-yellow oriole hangs its nest - a skillfully woven basket - from a horizontal branch of an apple, birch, pine or spruce tree. Sometimes orioles tie the ends of two thin branches and place a nest between them.

Among the birds of our country, the most skillful nest builder is undoubtedly the remez. The male remez, having found a suitable flexible branch, wraps its fork with thin plant fibers - this is the basis of the nest. And then the two of them - a male and a female - build a warm hanging mitten from plant fluff with an entrance in the form of a tube. The nest of the remez is inaccessible to terrestrial predators: it hangs on thin branches, sometimes over a river or over a swamp.

Some birds' nests have a very unique appearance and a complex structure. The shadow heron, or hammerhead, living in Africa and on the island of Madagascar, makes a nest in the form of a ball from twigs, grass, reeds, and then covers it with clay. The diameter of such a ball is more than a meter, and the diameter of the side tunnel, which serves as the entrance to the nest, is 20 cm. The Indian warbler sews a tube of one or two large tree leaves with vegetable “twine” and makes a nest in it from reed fluff, cotton, and hairs.

A small swiftlet living in Southeast Asia(and on the islands of the Malay Archipelago), builds a nest from its very sticky saliva. The layer of dried saliva is strong, but so thin that it is translucent like porcelain. This nest takes a long time to build - about 40 days. Birds attach it to a steep rock, and it is very difficult to get such a nest. Swiftlet nests are well known in Chinese cooking as swallow nests and are highly prized.

A relative of the swiftlet already known to us, the swiftlet clejo only attaches its small, almost flat nest to a horizontal branch with the edge. A bird cannot sit on such a nest: it will break off. Therefore, the clecho incubates the egg, sitting on a branch, and only leans on it with its chest.

A Chiffchaff feeds chicks that have just left the nest.

The South American ovenbird constructs its nest almost exclusively from clay. It has a spherical shape with a side entrance and really resembles the ovens of the local Indians. The same pair of birds often uses a nest for several years. And many birds of prey have 2-3 nests, using them alternately. There are also species of birds in which several pairs make a common nest. These are, for example, African weavers. However, in this common nest under one roof, each pair has its own nesting chamber and, in addition, there are also sleeping chambers for males. Sometimes uninvited “guests” appear in the common nest. For example, one of the chambers in a weaver nest may be occupied by a pink parakeet.

There are many species of birds whose nests are grouped very closely, in colonies. One species of American swallow builds clay bottle-shaped nests on cliffs, which are molded so closely together that from a distance they look like honeycombs. But more often the nests in the colony are separated from each other from each other a meter or more.

The nest of the remez is built very skillfully.

Bird colonies in the north are huge - hundreds of thousands of pairs. These so-called bird colonies are mainly inhabited by guillemots. Ground-nesting gulls and petrels also form small colonies. Cormorants, pelicans and gannets nest in colonies on the islands along the western coast of South America. Their nests have accumulated so much droppings over the centuries that it is developed and used as valuable fertilizer (guano).

Birds whose food is located close to the nesting site usually nest in large colonies, and, moreover, in a huge number. Cormorants on the islands of South America feed, for example, on large schools of anchovies, three-toed gulls from the bird markets of the Barents Sea without special labor catch capelin. But birds that fly far for food often nest in colonies. Such birds are usually good flyers - swallows and swifts. Scattering in all directions, they do not interfere with each other getting food.

The forest pipit makes a real nest in the grass from dry blades of grass.

Those birds that do not have good flying abilities, and collect food one midge at a time, one grain at a time, nest far from each other, since when nesting in colonies they will not be able to collect a sufficient amount of food. These bird species have feeding or nesting areas near their nests, where they do not allow competitors. The distance between the nests of these birds is 50-100 m. Interestingly, migratory birds usually return in the spring to their last year’s nesting area.

All these features of bird biology should be well remembered when hanging artificial nesting boxes. If the bird is colonial, like a starling, nesting boxes (birdhouses) can be hung frequently, several on one tree. But this is not at all suitable for the great tit or the pied flycatcher. It is necessary that within each nesting area of tits there is only one nest.

Chicks are hatching in a white-browed thrush's nest. They are helpless for a long time, like all nestling bird species, and fledge just before leaving the nest.

Some birds of prey, including owls, do not build nests at all, but seize ready-made strangers and behave in them as if at home. A small falcon takes away nests from a rook or a raven; The saker falcon often settles in the nest of a raven or heron.

Sometimes the nesting site is very unusual. Some small tropical birds excavate caves for their nests in the nests of social wasps or even in termite mounds. A small loten's sunbird living in Ceylon looks for the web of a social spider in the bushes, squeezes out a depression in its thickest part, makes a small lining, and the nest for its 2-3 eggs is ready.

Our sparrows often hatch chicks in the walls of the nests of other, larger birds, such as storks or kites. A skillful diving grebe (Grebe) makes a nest on the water. Sometimes its nest is fixed at the bottom of a shallow reservoir and rises as a small island, but more often it floats on the surface of the water. The coot's nest is also surrounded by water. This bird even arranges a gangplank - along which the chicks can get off the water and return to the nest. Small sandpipers sometimes nest on the floating leaves of tropical aquatic plants.

Some birds make nests in human buildings. Sparrows are on the eaves and behind the window frames. Swallows nest near windows, jackdaws nest in chimneys, redstarts nest under canopy roofs, etc. There was a case when a wheatear made a nest in the wing of an airplane while it was parked at the airfield. In Altai, a wagtail nest was found nestled in the bow of a ferry boat. It “swimmed” every day from one shore to the other.

Hornbills live in the tropics of Africa and South Asia. At the beginning of nesting, rhinoceroses - male and female - select a hollow suitable for the nest and cover the hole. When there remains a gap through which the bird can barely squeeze through, the female climbs into the hollow and from the inside reduces the entrance hole so that she can only stick her beak into it. The female then lays eggs and begins incubation. She receives food outside from the male. When the chicks hatch and grow up, the bird breaks open the wall from the inside, flies out and begins to help the male get food for the growing brood. The chicks remaining in the nest restore the wall destroyed by the female and again reduce the hole. This nesting method is good protection from snakes and predatory animals that climb trees.

No less interesting is the nesting of the so-called weed chickens, or big-legged chickens. These birds live on the islands between South Asia and Australia, as well as in Australia itself. Some weed chickens place their clutches in warm volcanic soil and do not care for them anymore. Others rake up a large pile of decomposing leaves mixed with sand. When the temperature inside the heap rises sufficiently, the birds tear it apart, the female lays eggs inside the heap and leaves. The male restores the pile and remains near it. He does not incubate, but only monitors the temperature of the heap. If the pile cools down, he expands it; if it heats up, he breaks it apart. By the time the chicks hatch, the male also leaves the nest. The chicks begin life on their own. True, they come out of the egg with already growing plumage, and by the end of the first day they can even fly up.

In the great grebe, as in all brood species of birds, the chicks become independent very early. They have been able to swim for a long time, but at times they rest on the back of an adult bird.

When building a nest, not all birds have male and female work equally. Males of some species arrive from wintering grounds earlier than females and immediately begin construction. In some species, the male finishes it, in others, the construction is completed by the female, or they build together. There are species of birds in which the male only carries building material, and puts it in in the right order female. In goldfinches, for example, the male is limited to the role of observer. In ducks, as a rule, females alone build the nest; drakes do not show any interest in this.

Some birds (petrels, guillemots) lay only one egg and nest once per summer. Small songbirds usually lay from 4 to 6 eggs, and the great tit - up to 15. Birds from the order Galina lay many eggs. The gray partridge, for example, lays 18 to 22 eggs. If for some reason the first clutch fails, the female lays another, additional one. For many songbirds, 2 or even 3 clutches per summer are normal. In the thrush warbler, for example, before the first chicks have time to fly out of the nest, the female begins to build a new nest, and the male alone feeds the first brood. In the water moorhen, the chicks of the first brood help their parents feed the chicks of the second brood.

In many species of owls, the number of eggs in a clutch and even the number of clutches varies depending on the abundance of food. Skuas, gulls, and snowy owls do not hatch chicks at all if there is very little food. Crossbills feed on spruce seeds, and during the years of the spruce cone harvest, they nest in the Moscow region in December - January, not paying attention to frosts of 20-30°.

Many birds begin incubation after the entire clutch has been laid. But among owls, harriers, cormorants, and thrushes, the female sits on the first egg laid. The chicks of these bird species hatch gradually. For example, in a harrier's nest, the eldest chick can weigh 340 g, and the youngest - the third - only 128 g. The age difference between them can reach 8 days. Often the last chick dies due to lack of food.

As a rule, the female incubates the eggs most often. In some birds, the female is replaced from time to time by a male. In a few species of birds, for example, the phalarope, painted snipe, and threefin, only the male incubates the eggs, and the female does not show any care for the offspring. It happens that the males feed the incubating females (many warblers, hornbills), in other cases the females still leave the nest and leave the eggs for a while. Females of some species go hungry during incubation. For example, a female common eider does not leave the nest for 28 days. By the end of incubation, she loses a lot of weight, losing almost 2/3 of her weight. A female emu can fast during incubation without much harm to herself for up to 60 days.

In many passerine birds, as well as in woodpeckers, kingfishers, and storks, the chicks are born blind, naked, and helpless for a long time. Parents put food in their beaks. Such birds are called chicks. As a rule, their chicks fledge in the nest and fly only after leaving the nest. Chicks of waders, ducks, and gulls emerge from their eggs sighted and covered with down. Having dried a little, they leave the nest and are able not only to move independently, but also to find food without the help of their parents. Such birds are called brood. Their chicks grow and fledge outside the nest.

It rarely happens that a brooding bird, or especially a bird near a brood, tries to hide unnoticed in a moment of danger. Large birds, protecting their brood, attack the enemy. A swan can even break a person’s arm with a blow of its wing.

More often, however, birds “repel” the enemy. At first glance, it seems that the bird, saving the brood, deliberately distracts the enemy’s attention and pretends to be lame or shot. But in fact, at this moment the bird has two opposite aspirations-reflexes: the desire to run and the desire to pounce on the enemy. The combination of these reflexes creates the complex behavior of the bird, which seems conscious to the observer.

When the chicks hatch from the eggs, the parents begin to feed them. During this period, only one female goes with the brood of black grouse, wood grouse and ducks. The male does not care about the offspring. Only the female incubates the ptarmigan, but both parents walk with the brood and “take away” the enemy from it. However, in breeding birds, parents only protect the chicks and teach them to find food. The situation is more complicated in chick birds. As a rule, both parents feed here, but often one of them is more energetic and the other lazier. Thus, in the Great Spotted Woodpecker, the female usually brings food every five minutes and manages to feed the chicks three times before the male arrives with food. And in the black woodpecker, the chicks are fed primarily by the male.

Only the male sparrowhawk hunts. He brings prey to the female, who is constantly at the nest. The female tears the prey into pieces and distributes them to the chicks. But if the female died for some reason, the male will put the prey he brought on the edge of the nest, and the chicks will die of hunger in the meantime.

Large birds Cormorants usually feed their chicks twice a day. per day, herons - 3 times, albatrosses - 1 time, and moreover at night. Small birds feed their chicks very often. The great tit brings food to the chicks 350-390 times a day, the killer whale swallow - up to 500 times, and the American wren - even 600 times.

A swift sometimes flies 40 km from its nest in search of food. He brings to the nest not every midge he catches, but a mouthful of food. He glues his prey with saliva. lump and, having flown to the nest, deeply inserts balls of insects into the throats of the chicks. In the first days, swifts feed the chicks with such increased portions up to 34 times a day, and when the chicks grow up and are ready to fly out of the nest - only 4-6 times. While the chicks of most species of birds, having flown from the nest, still need parental care for a long time and only gradually learn to find and peck prey without the help of their parents, the chicks of swifts feed and fly independently. Moreover, upon leaving the nest, they often immediately rush south. Sometimes the parents are still rushing over the houses, collecting food for their chick, and he, feeling strong enough, is already heading south, without even seeing his parents goodbye.

Our planet is home to many different species of birds. In spring and summer, they are always full of troubles with arranging a nest and breeding offspring. There are also birds that hatch their chicks in the bitter cold. Crossbills belong to this category of birds and hatch their chicks in extreme weather conditions. What kind of birds are these and why are they such selfless parents?

The bird belongs to the order of passerines of the genus Crossbills of the Voracidae family. Crossbill listed in the Red Book of Moscow, since it belongs to the second category of rarity. The bird is slightly larger in size than a sparrow and is very unusual, its weight on average is 50 grams, and its body length is 17cm. It lives only in coniferous forests and is unique in that it hatches its chicks in winter.

Females have grey-green plumage and yellow spots on the edges of their wings. Males have an even more attractive appearance; they are real dandies. They have a crimson colored upper body with a gray bib. Externally, the bird stands out not for its plumage, but for its beak. It has a unique structure, because their beak is very similar to the beak of a parrot. It is very powerful, and its mandible and mandible are crossed, with sharp ends protruding from the sides. Their strong beak allows them to easily break:

cones;
spruce bark;
branches.

The bird climbs trees and feeds on the seeds of spruce and other coniferous trees. The structural feature of the beak helps the crossbill-spruce to obtain seeds in coniferous plantations. This food is their favorite and main one, but they also eat other foods:

seeds of other plants;
insects.

Lifestyle

Crossbill can be called noisy and rather active daytime bird. Using a wavy flight path, it quickly flies from place to place. Songbirds call to each other when they fly in flocks. They make characteristic sounds “kep-kap-kap”.

Not all birds fly to warmer climes for the winter. Many remain to spend the winter in a permanent place. They remain because there is an opportunity to eat other food besides midges. Bugs are preserved under fallen leaves, there is suitable food in plant pods, as well as grains in cones. Such food helps them survive the winter, remaining in their homes. The crossbill bird can be called a permanent resident. The bird not only a peculiar beak, but also tenacious legs. Birds find cones by picking out grains from there.

It often happens that birds leave the territory where the cones have already run out and fly to another forest in search of food. Many people know that coniferous trees produce a harvest once every 4-5 years. The cones ripen only towards the end of summer and by winter they are already brittle and dry. When the heat comes, the cones open and the seeds fall to the ground, after which they give rise to new shoots of coniferous trees. This time of year is the most enjoyable for crossbills as they have an abundance of food.

Crossbills and offspring

The main food for crossbills are the cones of coniferous plantations, mainly spruce and pine. The most abundant period for harvesting cones is considered to be at the beginning of winter. This explains why crossbills give birth in winter. Birds are confident in the abundance of food and are not afraid that the chicks will remain hungry. Parents also need strength to not only produce offspring, but also to raise them strong.

At this time of year there are almost no birds, and squirrels sleep almost all the time in their hollows, so crossbills have the opportunity to eat as much as you want. During this period, birds begin to build nests, because they believe that the most favorable time has come.

The female chooses a nest in the densest spruce trees. When snow covers the thick branches of spruce trees, the female can reliably shelter the nest from the piercing winds and cold in such a secluded place. Caring parents use the most heat-insulating material to build a nest:

feathers;
lichen;
animal fur.

As a result, the finished nest looks very reliable, warm and cozy. In addition to the warm nest, there is also the warmth of the mother; she carefully warms her offspring with herself. When the chicks are born, their beak is normal. This allows parents to feed them chopped nuts by stuffing the nut porridge into the babies' mouths. After the chicks are 2 months old, their beaks begin to curl. The young begin to gradually learn to obtain food on their own, pecking it out of the cones. They still have a lot of food around and all that remains is to get it out of the shell.

The period from February to March for crossbills is considered best time due to the abundance of food. They usually begin to lay eggs at this time, but it happens in January. Birds like to settle mainly in the coldest regions. In winter, the temperature in this area is can drop to -35 o C. Birds are not afraid of the bitter cold and they build nests, despite severe frosts.

The first harbingers of spring in central Russia are rooks. No wonder they say about them that they “bring spring on their wings.” They usually arrive by March 17, followed by starlings and larks on March 22. There is still snow in the fields, and only the thawed patches will turn black along the hills and slopes, when on a warm sunny day the familiar song of a skylark will flow from the sky. On the streets of cities and villages, starlings welcome the return of spring. They sing, clicking their yellowish beaks, and play in the sun, glowing purple, blue and green. The starling usually sings, perched somewhere higher, like the blackbird. The plumage of these birds is equally dark, and many people confuse them. But the starling's tail is rather short, and when the bird sits, it is lowered; The blackbird's tail is long and usually sticks out. In addition, the male thrush has an unusually beautiful fiery yellow beak, while the starling has an ivory beak with a slight touch of yellow. The songs of the blackbird are surprisingly melodic. They say that in the forest you cannot hear a more skilled flutist play. It is often mistaken for a song thrush. But if you hear this singing in deciduous groves, along stream valleys, and in recent years in cities, you can rest assured: it is a blackbird singing, not a song thrush. The song thrush is an inhabitant of dense spruce forests and visits cities only during spring and autumn migrations. In the warm spring, when “transparent forests seem to turn green with feathers,” the nightingale begins to sing and the alarming “cuckoo” - the song of the cuckoo - echoes through the forest. Spring songs, be it the cawing of crows in March, the drumming of woodpeckers, the chuffing of black grouse, the laughter and squeals of eagle owls, the chimes of tits or May nightingale trills, the “crying” of the oriole, the chirping of swallows, are always associated with the onset of the prenuptial period. Each male performs his own characteristic song, signaling that his nesting territory is occupied. When the male sings, he seems to say: “I live here, and there is nothing else to do here!” The song serves as a business card, by which birds of the same species distinguish their fellows from strangers. Each male sings a special melody, so that the neighbors know who they are dealing with. The territory protected by singing will not only belong to the singer himself. Soon it will become the residence of his entire family. Therefore, birdsong has another purpose: the ringing serenade is supposed to attract the female, promising her a safe place for nesting.

The mating season usually occurs in spring and early summer. At this time, many birds change their appearance: males put on colorful outfits, they grow collars, crests, combs, and multi-colored warts appear on their heads, as, for example, in the ruffed birds. The brightest clothes are on males who do not raise offspring.

Each species of bird has a strictly defined courtship ritual (it is called mating). The most interesting mating behavior occurs in species whose males do not incubate eggs or raise chicks. For example, male moths in breeding plumage with brightly colored ears and collars hold peculiar tournaments on lekking grounds. They fluff up their feathers, take bizarre poses, pounce on each other, however, without causing noticeable damage to their opponents. This bright list attracts females. Here they choose suitors, mate and then leave the mating site. Black grouse, wood grouse, and white partridges are mating. Black grouse roosters with blood-red swollen eyebrows walk slowly, legs spread wide, wings dragging and lyre-shaped tail raised. The roosters mutter loudly, beat out shots with their feet, run up, jump, peck each other, and beat their wings. Passions are boiling, eyes flashing lightning from under bright red eyebrows. And wood grouse even go deaf for a while during mating, which is why they got their name.

An extraordinary sight is the mating dance of cranes, in which married couples, as a rule, are inseparable. Dancing groups of two to four or four to eight birds triumphantly trumpet, jump, flap their wings, crouch, bow, and bend their necks. Some birds perform mating games in the air. Magpies fly high and then fall, drawing all sorts of loops or rolling down like a black and white wheel. Even crows are mating in March: they fly excitedly after each other, somersault in the air, and then, sitting in the trees, twitch their wings and caw nasally.

In February - March, when the first breath of spring is barely felt, mating games of owls and eagle owls begin under the cover of darkness. In those forests where the owl may have rivals, he laughs tragically, squeals and clicks his beak, scaring the lone random traveler to death. During mating of blackbirds, future partners first, as if playing, chase each other. Soon the female sits down, and the male pretends to attack. Then he starts courting. Having spread his tail like a fan, ruffled the feathers on his chest, with slightly hanging trembling wings and an outstretched neck, he walks importantly around his chosen one and barely audibly clicks. The bride behaves reservedly at first. She doesn't seem to pay attention to her boyfriend. But soon she expresses her consent to mate with a flirtatious and submissive pose. From that moment on, the couple seemed to be engaged.

As soon as the pair has “matured”, in the territory already occupied by the male, she looks for a place to build a nest. Bird houses are different. We most often see rooks, as in A. K. Savrasov’s painting “The Rooks Have Arrived.” On one tree, many nests are built close to each other, and a rook sitting in a nest can sometimes reach its neighbor with its beak. Rooks build nests from twigs, line them with dry grass and use them for many years, repairing them every season. If there are only one or two nests on a tree, then there is a magpie site. The magpie's nest is a huge translucent ball. From the earth they mold an internal base - a strong bowl. The recessed part of the nest is called a tray. The magpies line it with rags. In the spring, when construction begins, magpies develop a passion for shiny metal: tin stoppers, forks, pieces of wire. For this feature, the magpies were nicknamed thieves. Their openwork structures are quite durable: they withstand countless rains, snowfalls and winds for years.

The nests of all songbirds are shaped like an open bowl. Of course, each species has its own special preferences, which are manifested in the choice of building materials, lining and nest sizes. The wagtail's nest looks like a disheveled pile of leaves, stems, roots and moss. The deep tray is lined with hair and down. The finch's nest is neater. This is a deep bowl with dense walls made of stems of moss, lichen, grass and a tray covered with a layer of fluff, feathers and hair, which is lined on the outside with lichen or pieces of bark. Some songbirds build nests that are closed at the top. The wren's spherical nest - it seems too large for birds whose weight does not exceed 10 g - is made of leaves, branches, straw and moss. The entrance to the nest is located on the side. City swallows make nests in the form of a hemisphere with a small entrance open at the very top, made of clay and mud, glued with saliva, on the walls of houses under the roofs. Swifts use the secretions of their sublingual salivary glands as building material for nests. These "swallow's nests" are used to make soup - an expensive delicacy in Chinese and Indonesian cuisine.

Many birds nest in hollows. Woodpeckers hollow them out for themselves, and tits, nuthatches and starlings look for free hollows or populate birdhouses. Some birds do not build nests at all. In lapwings, both parents hatch their chicks in damp meadows. The male digs out a small depression in the ground with his paws and lightly lines it with grass stems. The nest is ready!

Some owls and other ground-nesting birds do not build bulky nests: such structures would be too conspicuous in open spaces. They lay eggs in holes or some kind of cracks. Eggs are laid directly on the rock ledges, whose colonies populate the northern islands and coasts. At bird markets, guillemots, guillemots, auks, kittiwakes, and puffins sit so close to each other that a living carpet is formed. Why do birds build nests? For one reason: they lay eggs in them, which they then warm with the heat of their body. The nest protects and protects the eggs from hypothermia. Many birds insulate the bottom of the tray with dry blades of grass, moss, the hair of moulting animals, and their own feathers. The eggs in the eider nests are very warm; they are not afraid of the northern cold. Birds pluck fluff from their abdomen and line the nest with it so that the eggs are buried in it. Later, when the chicks leave the nest, people collect this fluff. In each nest you can collect 18-20 g of very valuable insulation, which is used when sewing warm and light clothes for polar explorers and climbers.

Whatever the nest, the female will lay in it as many eggs as she is “supposed” by nature. The female blackbird lays one bluish-green egg with red-brown speckles over the course of five to six days, so that usually there are from four to five, or even seven eggs in her clutch.

The outside of the egg is protected by a lime shell. Through its pores, oxygen enters the embryo from the air. The inside is lined with a shell. More precisely, the egg has two shells; at its blunt end they form an air chamber. It is clearly visible in a hard-boiled egg. As incubation progresses, when the water from the egg evaporates and the embryo consumes nutrients, the air chamber gradually increases. Therefore, if you put a hatched egg in a pan of water, it will float, and a fresh one will sink to the bottom. The inside of the egg is filled with white, in which the yolk floats. Its position is fixed by protein flagella, which are woven into cords - chalazae. If the egg is fertilized, a red dot forms on the yolk - the germinal disc. The chick develops from it.

There is no limit to the variety of shapes, sizes and colors of eggs. The great grebe (great grebe) lays elongated yellowish eggs, while the owl lays almost round white eggs. The lapwing and other birds that live in damp places have pointed eggs on one side, while the wood pigeon (pigeon pigeon), which nests in trees or bushes, has eggs that are almost round on both sides. And yet, most often the egg has one end rounded and the other pointed. This narrowing is especially noticeable in the eggs of various auks, such as guillemots. They nest on narrow ledges and rock ledges, and the cone-shaped shape of the egg prevents it from rolling into the sea. Birds of the same size can have eggs of different sizes. Both the common gull and the rock pigeon weigh about 350 g. A seagull egg (35 g) weighs twice as much as a pigeon egg (17 g). The pigeon chick hatches helpless, naked and blind, like the chicks of nesting birds nesting in trees - sparrows, woodpeckers, cuckoos, tits. Seagull chicks emerge from the egg sighted and almost immediately begin to run. Since the seagull's egg is large and it incubates it for a long time (26 - 29 days), the embryo goes through more stages of development in it than the embryos of a pigeon and other chicks that lay small eggs.

Bird eggs are also colored differently. Pigeons, owls and many birds that lay them in closed nests, hollows and holes have white shells. Songbirds that make open nests have variegated shells. The eggs of lapwings, gulls and most ground-nesting birds are camouflaged.

The number of eggs in a clutch is a species characteristic. The slender-billed guillemot and auk lay one egg each, pigeons lay two, and gulls two or three. The open nests of thrushes and most songbirds contain four to six eggs. Tits and other birds that nest in hollows lay from 7 to 12 eggs. And the gray partridge brings up to 20, sometimes up to 25 eggs. The number of eggs in a clutch is determined by how great the natural losses of eggs and chicks are and how many chicks the parents are able to feed. Therefore, guillemots, which breed on the barren rocky cliffs of the sea coasts, while nesting in incredibly crowded conditions - up to 15 pairs per 1 sq.m., lay only one egg.

At first, pigeons feed their chicks by belching the so-called “pigeon milk”, which is formed in their crop towards the end of incubation. It is barely enough for only two chicks. Seagulls know how to stand up for their offspring, so they do not need to have numerous young. But thrush chicks living in an open nest face many dangers, and thrushes have as many chicks as they can feed in the shortest possible time. The offspring of tits are reliably protected in hollows, so they have more chicks than the inhabitants of open nests. The gray partridge hatches its chicks on the ground, where enemies lie in wait for them at every step. To insure against possible losses, she lays a lot of eggs.

Having finished laying, the female begins to incubate the eggs. She settles comfortably in the nest, so as to completely cover them and warm them with the warmth of her body. Before brooding begins, down and feathers fall out on her chest, causing the formation of so-called brood spots - bare areas of skin, thanks to which heat is transferred to the eggs. The temperature of the brood spots is higher than the bird's body temperature. To keep the eggs warm from all sides, the hen regularly turns them over and moves them with her beak. In tits and lapwings, parents replace each other during incubation, but in such a way as not to leave the eggs open for a minute. Most often, only the female sits on the eggs. The father is next to the nest, notifying the neighbors with songs that his nest is here, and making sure that neither the cat, nor the magpie, nor any other robber can sneak in unnoticed. He warns the female about the slightest danger with sharp cries, who sits in the nest all night, and leaves for a short time during the day, trying to get food for herself as quickly as possible. Blackbirds incubate eggs for 13-15 days. For most other songbirds, this period lasts about two weeks. In the first days, the embryo is insensitive to low temperatures. Later the cold may kill him. Therefore, it is especially dangerous to leave eggs unattended for a long time in cool, damp weather.

The female sitting on the eggs seems to grow to the nest and reluctantly leaves it, remaining in it as long as possible. But at the sight of an approaching enemy or person, the apparently calm bird begins to have a strong heartbeat out of fear. Therefore, it is better not to disturb the hen. Sometimes both parents incubate the eggs. Such “equality” is observed in some kites, the black vulture, and the imperial eagle. The penguins take turns warming the clutches. More often, the female is responsible for raising the offspring (in wood grouse, black grouse, ducks, and most passerines), but it happens that only the fathers take care of everything (in the spotted threefingers living in Primorye, or in our northern phalaropes).

Each season has its own signs. Everyone knows early summer as a time of bright colors with a predominance of green, the first berries and mushrooms, an abundance of warmth and light. And this is also the time when it happens in nature important event – appearance of offspring in many animals and almost all birds.

Bird voices are heard less and less often - there is no time for songs. And in the spring, birds - usually males - sing not out of carelessness and a joyful perception of life (this is what people sometimes think), but to transmit some of their signals. Now who has eggs are still incubating in the nests, and who already has chicks got out. After all birds not at the same time build nests, their incubation periods are different (less than two weeks for small passerines, more than a month large predators), and quantity eggs in clutches.

Snake eater bird

For example, at snake eagle only one egg tits- more than a dozen, and the gray partridge - more than twenty. In difficult years, when there is little food, some birds lay fewer eggs, and in feeding years - more. Not the same different types parental participation in incubation. Males alone - black grouse, turukhtan, mallard- do not take the slightest part in caring for the offspring. For others, both parents share these concerns. There are also species in which incubates eggs and the male takes care of the offspring.

Lots of clutches dies. For a variety of reasons. Nests are destroyed by a predator, a person, or during any work. Bird leaves the nest before sitting on the eggs if something (or someone) bothers her. The weather is not always favorable.

How many worries and worries in birds during buildings nesting and incubation! But they appear chicks– and an even more troublesome time comes. If ducklings from the first days of birth they leave the nest, follow their mother and get their own food, this does not mean that the duck has an easier time with them than starlings, who, not knowing fatigue, carry food from dawn to dusk. It is characteristic, by the way, that almost all small passerines, even granivorous birds, feed their chicks with insects and their larvae, caterpillars, among which there are many pests of fields, gardens, and forests.

And what kind of tricks do birds resort to in order to save offspring! When danger approaches, they scream excitedly, pretend to be wounded, trying to ward off the enemy, some rush at him, selflessly protecting the nest and children.

Grebe with chicks

Great Grebe however, sensing a threat, they dive together with the chicks. And after a while they emerge with chicks to the surface.

It's interesting to watch broods, the development of young. However, it is necessary to act carefully so as not to cause birds anxiety. And in general, we must try to protect them everywhere and always. After all, birds have enough worries and concerns.

Birds– this is beauty, this is a symbol of freedom, flight. May they always be with us.

The beginning of phenological summer in the Central Black Earth Region usually coincides with the flowering of pink clover, rose hips, the mysterious northern orchid, the “dusting” of poplars, the flight of winged individuals in ants and, of course, the flight of chicks from the nest in most bird species. It’s not for nothing that June is called the month of chicks. Most of our birds breed at this time.

Perhaps the raven chicks are the first to leave their nest. I was able to observe how, three days before this event, the crows were actively climbing the branches of the pine tree on which the nest was located, returning to it at the slightest danger. Then they climbed up at once and settled on the branches about a meter from the nest. They did not return to it again and on the fourth day they were already flying freely from tree to tree, gradually moving away from their parents’ house.

Then it was the blackbirds' turn. Song Thrush and Fieldfare chicks left the nests first, followed by Blackbird chicks about a week later. At this time, on forest paths and in park alleys, you often come across clumsy yellow-throated, short-tailed and short-winged fledglings, which trustingly look at everyone who passes by and calmly allow themselves to be pulled together.

The chicks of starlings and nightingales do not sit in the nest. Having left a cozy hollow or other shelter, they begin to flock together. Under the trees, where groups of starlings gather, your ears can become blocked from their frantic screams. After two or three days, the starlings will leave their nesting sites and appear there only at the end of October, to say goodbye to their home before flying away.

Flocks of field and house sparrows can reach several hundred individuals and wander through the surrounding fields and weed thickets in search of food.

June is a busy time for woodpeckers. Their hollows can crowd from three (for the white-backed) to eleven (for the gray-haired) chicks. A hollow in the forest is easy to spot because the chicks scream very loudly. Apparently they are confident in their safety. But as soon as they fly out of it, silence.

A crashing sound is heard from the bushes - it’s the magpies who have climbed out of their spherical nest. Now they still hardly know how to fly and, on occasion, they escape by deftly climbing bushes and tree branches. Adults, when their offspring are threatened, try to divert attention to themselves, often pretending to be hit.

In the deepest part of the forest, goshawk chicks are preparing to leave the nest. Already now they show the stooped posture characteristic of the breed and the cold, pitiless gaze of yellow eyes. At first, like raven chicks, they climb to the branches closest to the nest, but after a day they begin to try their wings. True, for at least another month and a half, the family of these predators will stay in close proximity to the nest, and the hawks will become independent only in September, having learned from their parents all the intricacies of hawk hunting.

In the second half of June, from the dense thickets of the “mad cucumber” - this Don vine, densely entwining the trunks and crowns of trees in the floodplain forest - a thin sad whistle is heard, accompanied by a hoarse “kr... kr...”. This is all that remains of the ringing and varied song of the king of Russian singers - the nightingale. The pair I observed accompanied a brood of five fledglings. A nightingale brood will last a week at most, after which the birds will switch to a purely solitary lifestyle until next spring. Almost simultaneously with the nightingales, the chicks of their closest relatives leave the nests: the blue-breasted bluethroat, as well as the gray warblers and the dunnock.

And on lakes, ponds and reservoirs there is real pandemonium. The dazzlingly beautiful mute swans, taking their brood out for their first walk, sway on the water as rhythmically as snow-white ocean liners." ugly ducklings"The young mallards rise to the wing. A little later, the chicks of red-headed ducks and teal will do the same.

Grumpy neighbors - coots - rush at each other screaming, seeing a threat to their large (up to eleven chicks) brood in every bird that floats past. True, in less than two weeks peace will reign in the coot colony and the broods will begin to unite into huge flocks, sometimes reaching several thousand birds.

Like destroyers, large grebes, or great grebes, swim swiftly by. These magnificent divers hold their chicks on their backs under their wings, distributing them approximately equally between the parents. Sensing danger, they dive with the chicks.

And over the perfectly smooth surface of the Don oxbow, sparkling with a turquoise light, kingfishers that have recently left their hole quickly fly by. They chase their parents screaming, demanding to immediately give them the small fish held tightly in their beak.

At this time, broods of large red ducks - sardines - appear on the steppe ponds. There are up to seventeen chicks in them, quickly rising to the wing. In case of danger, the entire brood immediately flies into the air shouting “gong... gong...”. This half-goose-half-duck nests in burrows, often using the homes of foxes and marmots.

As darkness falls, a thin plaintive squeak is heard from the treetops. It is the fledgling long-eared owls who have recently left the nest begging for food from their parents. The fluffy company will stay together until spring, from October uniting for overnight stays with other similar broods.

Swifts sweep swiftly over the water, cutting the air with their low-level flight, and a whistle is heard from the thickets of coastal willows. These birds are still full of nesting worries. The time has not yet come for their chicks.

Quite often, in late spring and early summer, people relaxing in the forest stumble upon a bird of prey chick sitting on a branch or ground, or even more often an owlet. Sometimes this found “live toy” is taken home. After playing with it for a day or two, they start calling zoos, nurseries and other organizations to donate it. Some people also want to get money for it. It also happens that the “rescued” chick was so tortured and fed something that it is no longer possible to help it.

What to do if you find a bird of prey chick?

If you find a bird of prey chick, take a closer look at where it is. Usually, the chicks of birds of prey and owls leave their nests, not yet able to fly, and scatter along the branches or on the ground near the nest. Parents fly up to each one separately, as a rule, first to the most noisy one, i.e. the hungriest one, and they feed him.

Hawks and buzzards leave nests with half-grown tails. The owls are still wearing down jackets. The nests of harriers (except short-eared owls) and short-eared owls are located on the ground. Their chicks also scatter.

If a bird of prey chick sits on a branch or stump, then this is normal and there is no need to touch it.
- If a raptor chick sits on the ground in weeds or nettle thickets, in a field in the grass, inside a bush - this is also normal.

The chick of a bird of prey nesting in a tree very rarely falls to the ground. This happens most often when the chick is already half-fledged and begins to jump over the branches near the nest and fly up. But such a chick will be able to climb onto a sloping branch or stump, where its parents will feed it. Owls that have fallen to the ground climb up the tree using their beaks and claws, clinging to the unevenness of the bark, like parrots. Adult owls are usually nearby and attack humans, intimidating them by clicking their beaks. Birds of prey on open place They fly restlessly and scream, and in the forest you can often just hear their alarming cry.

When can you save a bird of prey chick?

The reason for taking and actually saving a bird of prey chick is gray crows. When you see them flying around with heart-rending screams and attacking someone, come and look. If the object of their attacks is a chick of a bird of prey, an owlet or some other bird, then, of course, it is better to take it away. Otherwise, he won’t live anyway, the crows will kill him. Morality and law diverge here. Legally you are a poacher, but morally you are a savior. The choice is yours.

The chick thus came to you. You don’t trust any rehabilitation centers or falconers, you decided to raise it yourself and return it to nature. What to do?

Feeding, maintaining and treating a bird of prey chick

Examination of a bird of prey chick

First of all, inspect the chick. You can carry it home either in a bag or in plastic bag, making something like a nest out of branches or grass there. The bag or package must be opened to maintain air ventilation. If on a cool day in spring the chick is wet, carry it in your bosom and warm it up. You need to carry it carefully so as not to hit anything or crush it. Be sure to carefully examine the chick. You can tell that he is exhausted by the strongly protruding keel on his chest and general lethargy. Wounds, fractures, and dislocations are usually clearly visible. Open the beak and see if there is any white coating inside. Feel your stomach. You can determine whether a bird of prey chick was fed by its parents by feeling its crop, and the owlet’s belly.

How to give water to a bird of prey chick

After carefully examining the bird of prey chick, first give it something to drink. This can be done by carefully inserting a rubber or soft plastic tube into the beak, and then pouring water into it with your mouth, little by little. You need to pour it very carefully, making sure that the water goes into the crop (birds of prey) or stomach (owls) and the chick does not choke. It is better to force drink together. One holds, the other pours. How much should I pour? Don't overdo it. Depending on the size of the bird, it is better to do it little by little in two or three doses.

Prepare a place to temporarily keep the chick. An ordinary spacious cardboard box, the bottom of which is lined with pieces of torn paper or newspaper, is well suited for this. This is done so that these pieces are mixed with the droppings and the chick does not get dirty. And sitting in such a box will be dry and soft for him. This bedding is replaced regularly. Use a knife to cut holes in the box for ventilation.

What to feed a bird of prey chick

Feed me. What and how to feed? The most frequently asked question. Of course, there is no need to give any sausage, lard, or bread, which is often done. Birds of prey and owls eat fresh meat. Usually the food supply is kept frozen. But you cannot give frozen cold meat. The meat needs to be thawed and warmed, and fed slightly warmed up, at least to room temperature. Before feeding in summer, in very hot weather, water should be added to the food. The simplest and most affordable food is veal. 1/10 of veal or beef liver is added to it. This should be cut into pieces depending on the size of the bird so that it is easy for it to swallow. Also add 1/10 - 1/16 part of undevit pills crushed into dust (per kilogram of weight) and ¼ part of glycerophosphate or calcium gluconate. Mix everything with the addition of a raw egg (you gain weight faster) and a piece of cotton wool the size of a knuckle. It's good to add a pinch of grated carrots. I worked on this composition a long time ago, and the chicks grew well on it. Meat base, i.e. veal, for various reasons, can be replaced with veal heart, chicken heads, day-old chicks, pigeons, crows, and, in extreme cases, chicken legs.

When feeding an exhausted chick for the first time, give the meat little by little, with water, finely chopped, and watch how the food is absorbed. The crop should disappear, and the chick should begin to perform its natural needs, shooting off droppings. If the goiter does not disappear, i.e. does not become smaller, you need to pour in sweetened tea with lemon juice using a syringe with a tube. This makes food digested better and the intestines work better.

If the chick does not begin to eat on its own before dusk, you need to force-feed it very carefully.

Worms in a bird of prey chick

Deworm it. In chicks, the presence of worms can be determined by bloating and general exhaustion, but more often this is not noticeable. Giving an anthelmintic to a severely malnourished chick right away is dangerous. You need to fatten it up first, for about a week. I usually gave Panacur based on weight, and no side effects were identified from its use. A good drug, but currently Panacur is in veterinary pharmacies practically not for sale. In addition to Panacur, I used albendazole. For the last two years I have been giving Vermizola-10. Calculated by weight, I give the drug with food and repeat it after two weeks. If you do not find these drugs, consult a veterinary clinic or pharmacy. They will tell you what to do.

Lice on a bird of prey chick

Prevention of diseases in birds of prey chicks

Treat the bird of prey chick for prevention. The simplest, proven over the years and quite effective technique is the following. For four days in a row, per kilogram of bird weight, ¼ tablet of ampicillin, ¼ tablet of trichopolum and 1/16 undevit are given with food. After 10-14 days the course is repeated. After the first course of such treatment, the condition of the lethargic bird of prey chick improves, it becomes greedier.

Diseases of birds of prey

What diseases are most common in bird of prey chicks and can you identify and treat them yourself? Forcefully open the beak and see if there is a white coating inside. If so, then this or aspergillosis or trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis (trichomoniasis) is easily treated with Trichopolum. Approximately ¼ tablet is given for four days per kilogram of bird weight and repeated after 10-14 days. Aspergillosis has virtually no cure. A bird with aspergillosis is usually doomed. If the white coating in the throat after the first course of treatment with Trichopolum begins to go away and the bird begins to eat with appetite, you are lucky, it will live. It was not aspergillosis, but trichomoniasis, and you cured it.

Wounds on birds of prey usually heal well. Sprinkle with streptocide and leave alone.

At tarsus fracture, if it is not possible to take it to a veterinarian, you can try to apply a splint yourself. If you have a hip fracture, this is much more difficult. Bird of prey with a broken wing practically doomed. Only highly qualified doctors in specialized veterinary hospitals can help in this case. Therefore, try to deliver a chick with a broken wing to such a hospital as quickly as possible. During any treatment, it is better to keep sick chicks in a box and disturb them less.

How to teach a bird of prey chick to catch prey

Teach a grown-up bird of prey chick to catch prey. You need to learn to grab something moving. It's not difficult. To do this, the chick must be healthy and strong. Healthy birds of prey have good appetites and are greedy. From the moment when the feathers on the tail grow halfway, you need to start giving the hawk carcasses of pigeons, rooks, and crows cut in half. If this is not the case, at least buy quails, grown up chickens or rats. On average, ten is enough. First, the hawk will learn to pluck and tear its “prey”. Having got used to doing this, and not waiting for you to place a piece in his open beak while he is screaming, he will gradually begin to grab this chopped carcass as it is dragged past him by the cord. Graduality is important here.

Where to release a bird of prey chick

Before releasing, make sure that the chick you raised can fly well and knows that it needs to grab something moving, i.e. grabs the carcass when you drag it. If the hawk does not yet know how to fly or flies poorly, it should not be released, but placed in some hawk’s nest with chicks. As a last resort, you can plant it in the nest of a buzzard or kite. Both of these birds feed their offspring well.

You need to release them where there is a lot of food and hawks nest. Otherwise, the chick will be doomed to starvation. Large landfills are best suited for this. Knowing how to fly well, your fosterling will easily hide in the nearest forest from the crows pursuing it. And the crows, accustomed to constantly seeing hawks flying along the edges of the forest adjacent to the landfill, do not really react to them. You will need to spend a day walking around the edges of the landfill. If the hawks nested near the landfill, you will hear the loud cries of the young ones from afar. They usually scream at the nest. You need to follow these screams and remember the place where they shouted. It is better to release the pet in the evening, fed to its fullest, in the place that you remember where the brood cried. In the morning, the hawk, when hungry, will easily find the nesting pair by the cries of the young and join it.

The nightjar bird nests directly on the ground. The white shell near the nest helps parents find their chicks in the dark.

The small swiftlet, which lives in Southeast Asia (and the islands of the Malay Archipelago), builds a nest from its very sticky saliva. The layer of dried saliva is strong, but so thin that it is translucent like porcelain. This nest takes a long time to build - about 40 days. Birds attach it to a steep rock, and it is very difficult to get such a nest. Swiftlet nests are well known in Chinese cooking as swallow nests and are highly prized.

A Chiffchaff feeds chicks that have just left the nest.

There are many species of birds whose nests are grouped very closely, in colonies. One species of American swallow builds clay bottle-shaped nests on cliffs, which are molded so closely together that from a distance they look like honeycombs. But more often, nests in a colony are spaced from each other by a meter or more.

The nest of the remez is built very skillfully.

Birds whose food is located close to the nesting site, and in large quantities, usually nest in large colonies. Cormorants on the islands of South America feed, for example, on large schools of anchovies; three-toed gulls from the bird colonies of the Barents Sea easily obtain capelin. But birds that fly far for food often nest in colonies. Such birds are usually good flyers - swallows and swifts. Scattering in all directions, they do not interfere with each other getting food.

The forest pipit makes a real nest in the grass from dry blades of grass.

Those birds that do not have good flying abilities, and collect food one midge at a time, one grain at a time, nest far from each other, since when nesting in colonies they will not be able to collect a sufficient amount of food. These bird species have feeding or nesting areas near their nests, where they do not allow competitors. The distance between the nests of these birds is 50-100 m. It is interesting that usually migratory birds return in spring to their last year's nesting site.

Chicks are hatching in a white-browed thrush's nest. They are helpless for a long time, like all nestling bird species, and fledge just before leaving the nest.

In the great grebe, as in all brood species of birds, the chicks become independent very early. They have been able to swim for a long time, but at times they rest on the back of an adult bird.

When building a nest, not all birds have male and female work equally. Males of some species arrive from wintering grounds earlier than females and immediately begin construction. In some species, the male finishes it, in others, the construction is completed by the female, or they build together. There are species of birds in which the male only carries the building material, and the female puts it in the required order. In goldfinches, for example, the male is limited to the role of observer. In ducks, as a rule, females alone build the nest; drakes do not show any interest in this.

Large birds, cormorants, usually feed their chicks twice a day. per day, herons - 3 times, albatrosses - 1 time, and moreover at night. Small birds feed their chicks very often. The great tit brings food to the chicks 350-390 times a day, the killer whale swallow - up to 500 times, and the American wren - even 600 times.

Sparrow chicks are often selected due to ignorance of the behavior of fledglings, due to the desire that arises in most people to help this “poor child”. The behavioral characteristics of fledglings are characterized by following their parents and begging for food in a position characteristic of a fledgling - crouching on its paws, rapidly flapping its wings and screaming loudly. Although such fledglings fly very well, they may not be afraid of people, which misleads people. If you see such a yellowthroat, don’t worry and don’t pay attention to it; as a rule, the chick’s parents are nearby and it doesn’t need help, it didn’t fall out of the nest, but flew out of it safely.

When to save a sparrow fledgling or chick?

If you have taken a chick from a cat or dog, then the chick must be treated. After a cat bite, even if the bird flies, the birds develop very serious problems, because cats and dogs normally have bacteria (pasteurella) living on their teeth, which are pathogenic for birds, causing a particularly dangerous infectious disease pasteurellosis in birds.
If you find sparrow chicks of any age covered with mites, then such a chick will not survive in the wild. Therefore, you will most likely be able to help him if you contact a bird doctor and take responsibility and care for the chick.
If the nest was destroyed during the construction or repair of a building, then most likely you will be able to save its life by taking it into your care, creating all the conditions that this bird needs.

Photo: Look, this is not a fully feathered sparrow chick; such a chick is outside the nest. If you find such a sparrow, it means: either the chick was thrown out of the nest, or fell out, or he himself had to leave the nest (this happens when all the older brothers have already fully fledged and left the nest, after which the parent birds cease to participate in life " younger" chick). Author of the photo:

If you find a chick lying on asphalt or concrete, and this chick cannot stand up on its own, then such a chick may have broken legs and/or internal bleeding. Such chicks should be immediately taken to a veterinarian, or at least call the avian doctor, in order to receive the first instructions on what to do with the chick.

How to help chicks if the nest is destroyed?

Unfeathered (“naked”) and blind sparrow chicks are often thrown out of the nest by other birds, and therefore it is useless to return chicks thrown out by other birds to the nest. This event is usually accompanied by fights between birds at the nest; sparrow nests may be occupied by swifts or starlings.

If the chick accidentally falls out (this happens when older chicks actively beg for food from their parents), and you see a nest (sparrows fly there and you can hear the chicks squeaking) - try to return the chick inside the nest. This often saves the birds' lives.

If you witnessed how a hurricane or thunderstorm overturned a birdhouse or titmouse in which sparrows or other birds were nesting, and the chicks fell out of such a nest, then you can really save the chicks, even if the disaster happened at night, and you only found the chicks in the grass in the morning. Return the birdhouse to its original position. If the nest inside the birdhouse is completely destroyed, then simply pour sawdust on the bottom of the birdhouse, or put dry moss (there is no need to put wet moss) and return the fallen chicks, after giving them water to drink.

Sparrows, starlings, flycatchers, tits - they don’t smell and because you picked up the chicks - they won’t abandon their brood.

After this, observe how the parent birds behave:

- If adult sparrows are not interested in the nest box and do not even fly up to it, wait three hours and take the chicks for additional feeding.
- If sparrows fly up to the nest, respond to the chicks' call, but do not fly inside, you are most likely scaring the birds. In this case, leave them alone, do not appear in sight for several hours, and they will most likely return to feeding the chicks.

Is it possible to feed very small chicks?

If you find a tiny, unfeathered chick, and you don’t see the nest from which it fell, then such a chick has only one option to survive - if it receives competent and timely help. It is not difficult to feed a sparrow chick; this can be done even by feeding it only a boiled egg and minced meat. However, such a chick will not be healthy; it will grow up sick and rickety.

If you live in a village and have the time and opportunity to catch insects, everything is much better. The best option is to feed the sparrow with insects: grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, butterflies, caterpillars (caterpillars should be naked; do not give “hairy” caterpillars to sparrow chicks). The main thing is not to forget to give the chick water every time after feeding and immediately remove the droppings from the nest (the nest can easily be made from a box lined with clean napkins).

If you are a city dweller or you do not have the opportunity to spend time in the field catching grasshoppers and butterflies, then this article on feeding chicks of field sparrows and house sparrows will be useful for you as a guide.

If you are the owner rehabilitation center, or volunteer at a rescue center wild birds, or you are simply enthusiastically collecting dozens of sparrow chicks at home, then the feeding method described in this article will not suit you, since large number breeding chicks requires a completely different professional approach to both the preparation of chicks’ diets and the feeding process.

What should you do immediately after picking up a chick?

The first step, having picked up a sparrow chick of any age, is to give it something to drink. If the chick does not open its beak and shows practically no signs of life - moisten a brush, a cotton swab or your finger with water, and place the drop hanging from your finger/cotton swab in the corner of the closed beak - the drop will be absorbed by itself and the chick will make a swallowing movement in a few seconds, give about 10 drops of water and call your bird doctor.

What to feed the chick in the first hours at home?

If the chick is actively asking for food: it opens its beak when a person approaches and squeaks loudly or not loudly, and you don’t have food insects at home, then the most universal option that you can feed almost any chick without harm is non-fatty, raw, fresh meat. You can use minced meat, or scrape the meat scraps from a frozen piece of meat with a knife, put it in a shallow saucer and add warm water so that the mass melts quickly. You can use frozen fish or minced fish in the same way. You cannot use lard, and do not use dumpling filling (a real case from practice).

The second universal food that you can feed your chick in the first hours after you bring it home is a boiled chicken egg. Boil an egg hard, finely chop the yolk and white, add a little water, mash, roll into a ball the size of 2/3 of the chick's head and place it in its beak. On such an “emergency” diet, the chick can live for a day without harm to itself, but if you continue to feed it only eggs or only meat, the chick will get sick very quickly.

And now in detail about what you need to purchase to fully feed a sparrow chick:

Special lighting for chicks

The list of necessary things for feeding chicks includes a bird lamp. The lamp is necessary because at home the chicks are deprived of sunlight, and without ultraviolet radiation the normal development of the chick is impossible, since vitamin D is produced in the skin of birds only in the presence of ultraviolet radiation, in addition. IMPORTANT! DO NOT USE MEDICAL HARD UV LAMPS. A special lamp for birds will help partially replace sunlight. Now the best option is the Arcadia birds lamp. Place it in the room where the chick is kept, at a distance of up to 1 meter from the chick. The lamp must be turned on during daylight hours. The duration of daylight should be at least 10 hours (preferably 12-14). Before turning off the light, the chick must be fed.

Where to keep the chick? Cage, box, nest, basket?

The best option for keeping chicks is a brooder with temperature and humidity control. Sparrow chicks in a brooder should be kept in a homemade nest. If there is no brooder, then a “nest is made” and the temperature is controlled either with lamps (the incandescent lamp should not shine directly on the chick) or with water heaters. The nest can be a convenient bowl lined with paper napkins, or a rope nest for canaries (can be purchased at pet stores). It is better to cover small chicks with another napkin after feeding. In this way, heat is retained, the chick develops a feeding reflex, and psychological comfort is created for the bird, because sparrows nest in enclosed spaces.

Do not use hay, straw, compressed sawdust or cat litter as bedding. . Chicks can swallow pellets and this can lead to trouble.

Containers without lining cannot be used as a nest (even if it is cardboard or wood) - for the reason that without lining the chick’s paws will slide, and moving the paws apart will lead to injury to the joints.

The temperature must be maintained within 32-35 C, humidity 40-45%.

Carefully remove droppings from the nest as soon as they appear! The parent must have pedantic skills - cleanliness in the nest, the best prevention of diseases in the chicks.

When the chick becomes a fledgling, it leaves the nest. Such a fledgling can be kept either in a large cage, or in an aviary, or simply in a large basket covered with a panel with a mosquito net on top. Fledglings should not be kept in a closed basket or box (light is very important for normal development and molting).

Sparrow chicks grow in closed nests, but they do not grow in the dark. In natural closed nests, chicks receive a lot of scattered ultraviolet radiation, which they are deprived of at home. Photo .

If you keep the chick in a basket, then you need to install perches made of branches with bark in it. The perches are placed close to the floor. The food is placed at the bottom of the cage. Also, a broom made of thin branches with foliage is installed in the basket or enclosure. Hiding in the branches of bushes and trees is the normal behavior of a sparrow fledgling, so the chicks will hide behind a branch broom.

Hygiene in keeping chicks

When feeding chicks, it is important to keep the nest (box) clean and immediately remove the chick's droppings. Normally, the chick defecates immediately after feeding.

When feeding liquid, smearable food, you must try to prevent the food from getting on the feathers and in the eyes of the chick. Feather contamination from food leads to disruption of feather development (the feather does not open normally or the feather follicle may be damaged). In addition, contamination of the feather with food creates favorable conditions for the development of secondary bacterial and fungal infections, so food that gets on the feather should be immediately removed with a damp cotton swab or a damp cloth. When hit feed mixture into the eyes, it is necessary to rinse the chick's eyes with sterile saline solution.

Calcium for sparrow chicks

Sparrows can get calcium from insects, plant foods, kitten food, egg shells and mineral supplements.

In order to prevent the development of rickets, chicks need to be fed a diet containing calcium and phosphorus in a 2:1 ratio, so sparrows should not be fed only raw meat or only boiled eggs for a long time.

The most accessible source of calcium is chalk (calcium carbonate), edible clay, and the shells of boiled eggs (the eggs must be well boiled so as not to infect the chick with pathogens of infectious diseases of chickens). Chalk, clay or shells are ground into dust in a coffee grinder, and this powder is used to add to the liquid mixture and to roll insects when feeding grown fledglings. I will call this powder conditionally “calcium”.

How to calculate a chick's need for calcium?

The literature provides data that pure calcium should make up 2% of the daily diet. But for single-fed chicks, it is possible to adhere to the rule “it is impossible to overdose on calcium carbonate,” because its excess is excreted from the intestines. Therefore, if you take the dosage of calcium powder at half a teaspoon per day as a guideline, then you will definitely not go wrong.

Can parrot formula be used for sparrow chicks?

Some bird owners use mixtures for feeding parrot chicks to feed passerine chicks. This is an incorrect technique, since the nutritional needs and development of parrot chicks are very different from the development rate of passerine bird chicks, and their basic nutritional needs are very different. Passerine chicks raised on parrot food gain normal muscle mass, but their plumage and bone tissue develop abnormally. The literature mentions that only Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula is suitable for feeding small sparrow chicks. I have not used this mixture, although it is available on the CIS market, but in my practice I very often encounter unsuccessfully fed sparrows and other passerine birds with parrot mixtures from different manufacturers.

Feeding unfeathered chicks from day one

A liquid feed mixture is used to feed unfeathered blind sparrow chicks from the first day.

Composition of the feed mixture for feeding: food insects, cottage cheese, pieces of fruit, available berries, dry hamarus or daphnia, children's Linex (1 bag), soaked kitten food, natural yogurt, calcium. Everything is put into a blender and ground to a liquid state. The mixture is given from a syringe in small portions. Never fill the crop more than 2/3 full to prevent the crop from overstretching. To very small chicks, the mixture can be given either with a brush or a pipette - it is important to prevent the food from contaminating the skin and feathers of the chick.

This mixture does not store well. It spoils quickly because it contains many nutritional components and bacterial cultures (yogurt and linex). Therefore, it is important not to make a large volume of the mixture for storage; use the finished food within 2 hours.

The process of feeding the chick

What to feed the chick: syringe, brushes?

When the chick is very small and blind, it is best to use an insulin syringe with a removable needle for feeding. For convenience, you can put on a trimmed intravenous catheter, but the older the chick gets, the stronger it grabs the tip of the syringe and can swallow the catheter. Be careful not to use a catheter on mature chicks and fledglings. Before feeding the chick, remove all drops of the feed mixture from the tip of the syringe so as not to accidentally stain the plumage.

Some find it more convenient to use brushes to feed very small chicks; if you have the skill and you do not stain the bird’s feather, then you can use this method.

If there are a lot of chicks, then feed them all in a circle. There is no need to “feed” the chick immediately and completely: give a portion of food and move on to the next chick. Don’t forget to check if the youngest chicks are full, as the older ones can “trample” the babies in the nest.

How often should chicks be fed?

Feeding is carried out every 20-30 minutes for 14 hours a day. Before feeding again, make sure the crop is empty. If the goiter slowly empties or swells -. It is important not to overfeed the chicks, since the sparrow continues to ask for food even when the crop is already full; do not feed the mixture more than 2/3 of the head volume; it is better to feed in small portions, but more often.

How to hold a chick while feeding?

When feeding, the chicks shake their heads and sway in different directions - for your convenience, you can gently hold the chick's head with the fingers of your free hand. Immediately remove any remaining food from the chick's head or body. If the chick does not poop immediately after feeding, feel the belly; it should not be swollen or hard. Lack of droppings may be due to the feed mixture being too dry. Dilute the mixture and/or give the chick additional water. If the chick still does not poop, feed it water until the litter appears, without giving a new portion of food.

Feeding feathered chicks and fledglings

As soon as the chick's first feather stumps appear, gradually begin to introduce food insects. Insects must be introduced by replacing individual feedings of the chick mixture with insects, removing solid parts from mealworms, crickets, and locusts. Alternate between feeding liquid formula, insects, berries and small pieces of fruit.

Fledglings need to be fed every 45 minutes - 12-14 hours a day. The older the chick gets, the more insects you give. When the chick can stand on its own legs on its own, there is no longer any need for a liquid mixture, but provided that you have plenty of food insects, berries and fruits. Calcium is sprinkled on fruits and insects fall in it. Necessarily! After each feeding, you need to give the bird water: give 2-3 drops into the beak, or more if the chick asks for more.

Properly fed house sparrow chicks are fully feathered by the time they reach the normal weight of adult birds, without stubby tails, bald spots on the head and white spots on the primary flight feathers. The weight of an adult house sparrow is 28 grams.

Chick training: target and clicker

If you are not going to release the chick back into the wild, then it is important to use a clicker during feeding from the first days, developing a click reflex. This will help you in the future, when the chick begins to fly, to train the chick, increasing its physical endurance. This important stage in the life of a chick and it is important not to miss this time.

Accustoming the chick to feed independently

As soon as the sparrow begins to leave its box on its own: firstly, it is time to start accustoming it to feeding on its own; secondly, you need to eliminate all the cracks under the furniture, between the furniture and the walls (sparrows love to hide in such cracks and may not make a sound at all; it is extremely difficult to find a hidden chick).

Accustoming a chick to “adult” food begins with introducing the chick to food. To do this, a grain mixture for canaries, or a mixture of meadow and forest grass seeds, is poured onto the bottom of the cage or enclosure. Pieces of vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs are also placed here, food insects, chopped boiled chicken eggs, crumbs from dry food for kittens are thrown in. No “forbidden” vegetables or fruits that are dangerous for sparrows grow in Eurasia. Since there will still be questions, I’ll clarify: the sparrow chick can be given: dill, parsley, cilantro, coriander, cabbage, apples, cherries, sweet cherries, pears, bananas, potatoes, grapes and other vegetables and fruits, bunches of wild herbs and weeds. At first, the chick will playfully taste everything; over time, it will learn to chew the seeds on its own. There is no need and should not be done to teach him to eat on his own.

To make it more convenient for you to clean the cage and replace food, it is best to use shallow trays. It is also most convenient to give water in shallow, wide containers. The older the sparrow becomes, the more forages, scythes and other methods of enriching the diet and habitat must be used.

Stopping feeding and transferring the chick to self-feeding

It is very important not to transfer the chick to self-feeding ahead of time. The fact that the chick has begun to shell grain on its own and is interested in other foods is not a reason to reduce the frequency of feeding; in nature, parents continue to feed fledglings for a long time after the chicks have already begun to eat themselves. Surely you have seen a string of loudly screaming sparrows flying after their parents and begging for food. This is a very important period in the life of a fledgling. At this time, the parent birds teach the chicks: what to eat, how to eat, how to avoid dangers, and, importantly, this following of the parents allows the chicks to gain the necessary physical endurance. Therefore, you now need to not just put food in the chick’s beak, but make it fly after you around the apartment. This is where the training skills you previously learned come into play. Now you need to secure them - this will help you solve many problems with the bird’s behavior in the future. Too early transfer to independent feeding is fraught with malnutrition and the development of diseases in the chick.

Photo: Chicks in the nest. These are fledglings ready to fly out of the nest, but for several more weeks they will pester their parents, demanding additional feeding. Photo .

House sparrow chicks are ready to switch to independent feeding when they reach a weight of 20-27 grams, are fully feathered, the tail is 2-3 cm long, the beak becomes gray-beige and hard, bites become painful, the yellow border at the corners of the beak turns pale and becomes small noticeable. Now your chick is not a yellowthroat.

Start reducing the frequency of feedings. Some chicks can switch to independent feeding very quickly, literally within a day after reducing the frequency of feeding. Other chicks at this age refuse to eat (do not want to eat) and such fledglings do not need to be force-fed. Monitor the sparrow's body weight: if the bird does not lose weight below 21 grams and is active, then everything is in order. If you plan to release the bird in the future, then you can already take it out into the outdoor aviary.

Photo: This is what a healthy sparrow fledgling looks like, one that can feed on its own. Pay attention to the condition of the plumage and the corners of the beak. Photo: .

What should you not give to chicks?

Under no circumstances should chicks be given poisoned flies, cockroaches, or crickets. If you find a lethargic or dead fly or cockroach, you cannot feed the chicks with them, as the chick will also be poisoned and die.

Do not feed insects caught in the sticky trap tape.

You cannot give minced dumplings, belyashi, chebureks, pies, sausages, frankfurters, cutlets, etc.

Do not give milk, bread soaked in milk, cheese from pizza, powdered milk and children's milk porridges.

Do not give soured, sour, rotten formula for feeding.

Earthworms should not be offered to the chick. Earthworms are intermediate hosts for worms, in particular for syngamus, which lead to syngamosis.

Should I give my chick vitamins?

All vitamins are given only as prescribed by the veterinarian supervising the development of the chick. Remember, vitamins are not just cool balls or syrup, they are chemical compounds that have their own indications and contraindications for taking. It is especially important to know this if you decide to give your chick fat-soluble vitamins ADE yourself - an overdose of these drugs is deadly for any bird!

Signs of disease in chicks

A slowdown in the rate of chick development and weight gain are important signs of disease. It is also important to pay attention to the condition of the litter. Normally, droppings should be well-formed, odorless, not runny, and without bubbles. The goiter should empty very quickly; the goiter should not be allowed to swell or become overfilled.

If you get into the trachea while feeding and the chick coughs or starts sneezing, contact your bird doctor IMMEDIATELY!

The paws should not move apart. Fingers should be straight.

Photo: This unfeathered sparrow chick has a so-called “split” - the legs move apart due to damaged tendons. If treatment of the chick is not started in time, it will either die in a very early age, or become disabled for life. If you see that the chick's legs are moving apart, then immediately contact a veterinarian who specializes in treating birds. Photo:

Photo: This house sparrow chick fell into human hands at a very early age, with its legs already moving apart. Pay attention to the position of the paws: the paws are “spread” to the sides.These are signs of rickets; treatment of chicks with such paws should begin as early as possible, after you notice the first signs of the disease. Despite the fact thatA proper “nest” was made for this chick, in which the paws did not move further apart, the bird remained disabled.

Photo: The same chick as in the photo above, but already grown up. The paws are turned to the sides. Feathers do not open normally. Look at the feathers of the wings and tail: such “needles” should not exist.

Photo: There should be no bald patches on the chick's head and neck. Poor plumage condition, multiple stress lines on the feathers, unevenly unfolding feathers on the tail, delayed development of feathers on the head, a paw turned to the side - all these are signs of illness in a sparrow chick. The photo shows the same chick as above.

Photo: The feather should not have stress lines (transverse grooves), areas with no secondary grooves (not a full feather). The color of the plumage should be light brown without white spots. The same chick, but already a fledgling.

The eyes should be clean and clear. The eyelids should not be red.

If you notice signs of illness in the chick, contact your veterinarian immediately. It’s better to ask the doctor again if everything is okay than to miss the critical time to start treating the bird.

Is it possible to release a human-raised chick into the wild?

A single-reared sparrow chick becomes very attached to the person who fed it; such a chick can be adapted for release if you take care of “wilding” in advance. To do this, you don’t have to babysit with the chick; you feed it and forget about it. During feeding, you need to wear bright clothes or clothes with color spots, so that the chick does not concentrate on the face of the feeder and his voice, but is distracted by bright clothes. Upon reaching age self-catering- do not show unnecessary interest in the bird, such a fledgling will quickly begin to run wild and be afraid of humans. Of course, to release it into the wild, it is better to raise at least two chicks at once, so that there are no problems with socialization in the future, but a single-fed sparrow can be successfully released - provided it is specially trained. Without adaptation, socialization and training, it is not possible to release a fed chick into the wild.

Preparing for release into the wild

To prepare for release into the wild, you need an enclosure of at least 1.2 x 2.4 x 2.4, but the larger the better. The walls of the aviary are made of soldered wire mesh with a mesh of 1 x 1 or 1 x 1.5 cm. It is best to attach the aviary with one or two walls to existing buildings, so that the birds have a corner protected from the wind on both sides.

In the aviary it is necessary to create a central zone, free from perches and shelters, where the birds can fly. Birds in such an aviary are fed with the maximum possible amount of wild herbs and plants growing in your area. A flock of sparrows is kept in such an enclosure for 1-2 weeks. Before release, all birds must be in good physical condition, fully feathered, and the feathers must be waterproof, like wild sparrows.

Release into the wild

Prepared Birds should be released in the morning, in good weather. It is advisable that the weather forecast for the next few days after release is also good. It is best to release where flocks of young sparrows already live.

Please note that release into the wild must be supervised by specialists and it is necessary to prepare for it in advance, since there are a large number of important details that are beyond the scope of this article.

Useful video about feeding sparrow chicks on the Pernatik’s life channel:

Kozlitin V.E.

Used literature:
1. Hand-rearing birds / Laurie J. Gage, Rebecca Duerr. ©2007 Blackwell Publishing
2. Avian medicine: principles and applications. Ritchie, Harrison and Harrison. © 1994. Wingers Publishing, Inc., Lake Worth, Florida

The title photo shows a healthy, unfeathered house sparrow chick.

Popular in the category: