Birds (indeed, animals in general) are divided into nidifugous and nidicolous depending on whether they immediately fly the nest or stay and are tended by parents (the latter tend to be baldish at birth).
It tends to be an environmental thing - sea birds which nest on the shore tend to have nidifugous young while cliff dwellers tend to be nidicolous. Birdlets emerging in open areas with lots of predators need to run away and hide whereas birds emerging in protected situations can afford the luxury of a few days parental care. In the case of nidicolous humans, many years of parental care!
Topic: Nidicolous
Quote:
Originally Posted by goosey
I have been doing my best to create a wildlife friendly garden for 3 or 4 years now, I think I might change my mind if a Brush Turkey turned up to nest. It's nest alone would take up ALL of the garden  . Lucky for them then that they are protected as people must find them annoying.
So have I got this right - that as soon as the chicks hatch, that they are off to fend for themselves? Are there other birds that are like this? When I think of the poor little birds that come into the garden to feed their young constantly during the day geting shabbier and shabbier as their hard work at feeding their brood continues. There again with 24 chicks to feed Brush Turkeys would have to be some sort of super parents! |