First Nestlings Have Fledged

 The first brood of Tree Swallows from the nestbox trail in the park has fledged. These photos show what an 11 day-old Tree Swallow looks like. At this age, the bird is not yet ready for flight, but another six or days or so is all that was needed.

 This nestling seemed alert and healthy.

 Getting ready to band the nestling, which involves placing a lightweight aluminum band around its leg, much like us putting on a ring or bracelet. Each band has a unique 9-digit number, this allows researchers to keep track of a particular bird. From this, we can potentially learn about the bird's growth, nesting patterns, migration patterns, lifespan and more.

As you can see, a bird at this age has not yet attained the feather development necessary for flight. This is why we band the nestlings at this age. If we waited longer into their feather development, we would put them at risk of premature fledging, which could jeopardize their survival. Since our first concern is for the bird's welfare, we carefully monitor their development and avoid anything that would jeopardize their health and survival.

After banding these nestlings, all nest checks were done from a distance in order to avoid a disturbance which may have caused the birds to prematurely leave the safety of their nest. Four nestlings were fledged from this nest. These birds are now flying around the ponds near their nestbox. They will not return to the nest now, as they are fully capable of flying well and catching insects as they fly. Perhaps one or more of these birds will return to this area in the future to start their own families. If that happens, you can read about it here.