Birding with Nate: Baby Birds at ScienceWorks!

ScienceWorks has babies!

ScienceWorks Has Babies!! It’s breeding season for most local birds, and I found this pair of House Finches feeding their young on the sidewalk of Walker Ave.
Other birds are breeding here as well. This Brewer’s Blackbird is on her way to feed her chicks. If you look closely, you can see a bit of nest material sticking out of this box (below) where the Tree Swallows are nesting now.
House Finches are very common at ScienceWorks and their melodious songs can be heard all around the museum grounds. Males are red on their heads and chest while females and young males are streaky gray/brown. These birds do well in urban areas near human structures and are breeding at ScienceWorks.
This cute little guy with mad scienctist eyebrows is a House Finch fledgling. Fledglings are baby birds that are developed enough to leave the nest and move around on their own but still rely on their parents for food and protection.
Much like human teenagers, fledgling birds are about the same size as adults but more awkward and ... dramatically expressive. Most make high pitched begging calls and often flutter their wings or do other displays to let their parents know they need food.
Leaving the nest before they are fully independent is a normal part of the lifecycle of most birds. If the baby bird is similar in size to the adults and is mostly feathered, chances are it fledged and is still being taken care of by its parents. It’s best to leave them alone unless in direct immediate danger from pets or vehicles. Look for parents carrying food and listen for the sharp calls of their young during June and July. And look out for more posts about ScienceWorks birds soon!

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