photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Charlie Fleming | all galleries >> Birds of the world in Taxonomic order. Species count to December 2023 is 980 >> Blackbirds - Turdus merula >> Breeding Blackbirds 2011, a diary > Day 1
previous | next
09-APR-2011

Day 1

Chicks were discovered in the nest, early on the morning of April 9th. It is usual for all eggs to hatch together. The chicks were pinkish with a tinge of yellow, covered in wispy, slightly damp greyish down. When they hatch they are totally blind and helpless, this is described as altricial. They have under developed feet and beaks. Later in the morning the wispy down had dried and was then fluffy. A sample weight of one chick was 7.4 grams. Before they fledge in two weeks, they will have increased their weight at least 10 fold. 35grams at 8 days is considered light and the average would be around 40 which suggests that body weight should increase by 5 times in eight days.

Pentax K-5
1/180s f/3.2 at 90.0mm iso800 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment