Chicks On The Move
Banding is set to take place tomorrow morning as originally scheduled. The chicks will be a full 30 days old. As can be seen in the video below, not only have they grown in size, but a lot of their downy plumage has been lost and their flight (wing and tail) and body feathers continue to develop. The chicks now stand more confidently and move around much better, waddling to different parts of the ledge. Although they tend to be found in the vicinity of the nest box and of the camera, they have on occasion disappeared entirely from view. The video also documents wing flapping, a behavior that will be seen more frequently as the birds’ flight muscles and flight feathers continue to develop. The chicks are increasingly able to feed themselves, tearing bits of flesh from the prey brought to them by their parents.