birdsoup

Newly hatched baby birds can be classified into two general categories – either alticial or precocial. 

The young of most songbirds, such as Robins, are alticial – which means they are born pretty much naked, without feathers and with their eyes closed.  They are ugly.  A baby only a mother could love.  At this stage about all they can do is open their mouth wide and beg for food from their parents.  It takes 10 – 21 days of constant attention from their parents before they are ready to leave the nest and strike out on their own. 

Precocial babies, on the other hand, are born with their eyes open and their bodies covered with soft down.  Duckling and Goslings are prime of examples.  They are ready to leave the nest within a couple of days, and often within a few hours.  You often see their parents leading them to areas with food but they are able to feed themselves.