Information on Baby Birds

Birds are seen often in the wild, flying and nesting in many places. Although birds do nest in trees, other nesting spots are on the tops of buildings, light poles or even the ground, like the ovenbirds. Once they build the nests, the birds lay their eggs.

  1. Incubation

    • Each bird species has different incubation periods. Cardinals are in their eggs for 11 to 14 days, while blue jays incubate for 17 to 18 days. The red tailed hawk has a long incubation period of 28 to 35 days, but penguins have the longest at 56 to 67 days. Cardinals and other small passerine birds have the shortest incubation period of about 11 days.

    Hatching

    • When the incubation period is complete, birds are ready to hatch. They do this by pecking at the shell from the inside, causing it to crack and break. They then push their way out.

    Condition at Hatching

    • Most birds are born without eyesight. Baby hawks are weak and unable to hold up their heads, and weigh 2 oz. Blue jays are naked and helpless, with a red lining in its mouth. Cardinals are very clumsy babies and are born with tufts of gray feathers on their bodies.

    Nesting

    • Nesting is the amount of time baby birds stay in the nest, being cared for by the mother or father bird. Their parents bring them food, often chewing it and regurgitating it for the babies.

    Leaving the Nest

    • Once the baby birds can hop or walk around, the parents move them to different spots each night in order to confuse predators. Most babies will stay with the parents until they are very strong fliers, usually around 14 days after they are born..