Hatching a Plan
Ongoing nest-maintenance is a foundational skill.
A carefully positioned beak-to-beak food delivery.
Bigger birds such as the sandhill cranes, osprey, and bald eagles start hatching during May or early June.
A soft “snuzzle” is bonding behavior.
A carefully positioned beak-to-beak food delivery.
Some chicks are satisfied with worms, grasshoppers, or other variety of insect, as long as tummies become full.
Avian family dynamics.
For the birds of southwest Montana, summer has arrived with completed mating and nest-building behaviors. The chicks, eaglets, ducklings, etc. have hatched or will hatch very soon. The female osprey and eagle sit on the nest for hours and beckon the male for food. He is responsible for the continued upkeep with sticks for the nest, hunting and food delivery, and defense of the family’s territory. With most ducks, the male abandons the caregiving role and the female is in charge of raising the young. Meanwhile, male grebes are right there with household duties with the female (fortunately for them, there is no cooking or dishwashing). Patience is rewarded once I find a nest and wait for the interaction between the adults with their chicks and which roles are played by each gender in raising the young.
Ongoing nest-maintenance is a foundational skill.
Dad delivers a delicious fish meal. With osprey, fish is constantly on the menu.
Once chicks hatch in early summer, the parental tasks evolve into food delivery.
It’s safety in numbers within the burrowing owl and merganser clans, whether huddled with the parent, or with each other in the grasses or during playtime.
It’s safety in numbers within the burrowing owl and merganser clans, whether huddled with the parent, or with each other in the grasses or during playtime.
