Most of the birds fail to pick up their babies or chicks. Thus, if a chick falls out of the nest, they are unable to trace their way back to safety. However, there are exceptionals as well, where a few water birds have the capability to pick up their babies and they are seen to carry the chicks on their backs.
Birds cannot carry the chicks when they are flying as most birds are not designed to lift heavy weights. However, birds of prey have the capability to lift up heavy weight while flying. Still, they do not have the capacity to carry their young ones.
So, let’s dig deeper and learn about the birds who can carry their babies.
When Does a Bird Pick Up the Chick?
There are certain waterbirds, such as swans, who can pick up the babies and also give them a ride on their back while swimming. The world of birds is full of exceptions, so it is not a surprise that some birds can easily carry their babies while others can’t.
Here are the common circumstances that can lead to birds picking up the chicks.
At the Time of Brooding
Waterbirds carry the chicks on their back so that they can stay warm and also out of water. This action is spotted in the first and second week of the life cycle of the chick and the male birds are seen to be carrying them. In Eared Grebes, the babies spend the first week on the back of any one of the parents, while the other one is responsible for bringing food. Even among mute swans and black swans, the babies are seen to be climbing up their parent’s backs, which is quite common.
When Removing the Babies
Birds tend to eliminate the sick and dead babies from the nest, as a precaution that it might attract predators or the affected chicks might infect other healthy babies. Some birds are also seen to remove the weakest baby of the lot, which ensures the survival of the other chicks in the nest.
Sensing Danger
Birds, which care about the chicks alone, are seen to carry the chicks physically after sensing danger. They pick the chick under their wing and carry them on foot to a safe place. This behavior is seen among the African Jacana.
Can a Bird Carry the Baby While Flying?
Birds carrying their babies while flying is indeed a rare sight, but it has been reported among 16 different bird species globally. The woodcock is reported to carry their young ones but there is no concrete evidence.
Can the Bird Transform the Chicks to Another Nest?
Yes, some of the birds can move the babies from one nest to the other, specifically songbirds. These birds are seen to use only a single nest at a time for raising the babies. Some birds belonging to the Caprimulgidae family are also seen to move their eggs for short distances if their nest gets destroyed or disturbed either due to natural calamities or human action. They also move their chicks by calling them, instead of physically pushing them or lifting them. Certain birds are also seen to carry their babies on their backs for the first few weeks to keep them warm and dry, such as Grebes. They only use the nest for incubating the eggs.
Why Do Most Birds Fail to Carry Their Babies?
Birds have a certain limitation to the object they are carrying either in their beak, talons, or under the feathers. The role of carrying the babies differs among different bird species and it depends on chick size, weight, duration, and distance. Carrying a chick is an energy-draining process and most of the birds are not competent enough to do so.
Can Chicks Return to the Nest after Falling Out?
If a chick falls out of the nest, then they might not be able to return back to the nest as most birds do not have the physical strength to carry the babies on their back or back to the nest, up on the tree. There is also a type of bird, which leaves the nest even before the chicks can learn to fly properly and the chicks land up on branches near the nest or on the ground. However, this is quite normal and they do not need to come back to the nest, rather the parents would continue to feed them wherever they land.
Why Chicks are Thrown Out of the Nest?
Some birds are seen to throw their babies out of the nest if they die and this saves the body from getting decomposed in the nest. A dead chick can attract scavengers or might spread disease, so they are removed. Even parents can kill their own babies or push them out of the nest, which is a common behavior among white storks. This act of infanticide is done by the male member and the target is the last born of the clutch to ensure the older babies survive. It has also been seen that baby birds throw other babies out of the nest.
Among the cuckoo species, it is seen that they raise their baby in another bird’s nest and so they need to push the egg of the bird from the nest before laying their own and mixing them in the nest cluster. Even when the babies hatch, the cuckoo chicks push the other babies of the bird to whom the nest belongs and are fed by this host bird.
Can a Baby Bird Survive Without a Mother if it Falls Out of its Nest?
The survival of baby birds, away from the mother and nest, tends to vary from one species to another. It also depends on the age of the baby and whether the chick is capable enough to feed on its own. Usually, baby birds are taken care of by their parents until the day they are ready to fly or leave the nest on their own permanently.
What to Do if You Locate a Baby Finch on the Ground?
If you find a baby finch has been abandoned, then place the chick back to its nest. However, if you are unable to locate the nest, then you need to look for a shaded area near the place where you found the chick and safely place it there. The parents might return and lead the chick back to its nest.
Do Birds Look for Chick that Fall out of Nest?
Yes, parent birds come looking for the missing babies and continue the search for 48 hours, if the nest has been attacked by any natural calamity or man-made hazards. The birds mostly look for the chicks around their home territory. Some birds also act as foster parents for abandoned babies but within the same species.
How Long Does a Baby Bird Stay in the Nest?
The baby bird staying in the nest, before it can fly away differs from one species to another. For songbirds, the chicks leave the nest after 2 to 3 weeks and for raptors, the time can extend to 8 to 10 weeks. Interestingly, precocial birds are seen to wander in search of food, within an hour or two after hatching, along with their parents.
Will a Bird Come Back if the Nest is Disturbed?
If a bird senses a potential danger or if the nest is disturbed during the nesting process or while laying eggs, then they might desert the nest and choose to renest.
Who Preys on Baby Birds?
Baby birds face a threat from rats, snakes, birds of prey, dogs, cats, and other nocturnal animals that choose to eat baby birds.
