The Fledging Process

[GouldieFledge]

I have a baby that'll be fledging any day now, but I don't exactly know what to expect.

What happens when the chick officially "fledges"-does it just sort of topple out of the nest and wander around the bottom of the cage, fluttering? Do the parents show them where food dishes are? I guess I'm looking for a general synopsis of what happens in the fledging stage.

I know some of the food items I'm to be providing (egg food, millet, sprouted seeds, oily seeds), but that's pretty much it.

[lovezebs]

GouldieFledge

Unusually in the last few days before fledging, you will hear the chicks exercising their wings in the nest box (which sounds like wild fluttering) so don't be alarmed.

You will also notice the chick (s), sticking their heads out of the nest box, then their upper bodies, until it seems as if they are going to fall out on their faces. That's normal.

Then one day, you'll suddennly see a youngster either in a food dish, on a perch, or on the floor of the flight, and SURPRISE, you have a fledgling.

If it's around the time when it should be fledging, then all is well. If it's a few days before, and the chick appears cold or overly bewildered, you can pick him up, and place him back in the nest (some tend to be eager beavers and jump out too soon, or simply fall out). If the same chick is out again soon or the next day, then he has fledged, and is fine outside the nest.

At this stage, pay attention to make sure that the parents are following up and feeding the fledgling, along with the other chicks still in the nest. Usually they will pop out at one day or two day intervals, depending on who hatched first.

As you mentioned, soft foods should be offered, both on the floor and close to the perches where the fledglings like to perch. I usually also offer a shallow dish of water at the bottom of the flight.

At this early stage, I personally stay away from bathtubs with deeper water (just to be on the safe side and avoid the possibility of accidental drowning).

The parents will feed the chicks on a regular basis, and you can (at this stage) watch the chicks begging, and the parents feeding. Over a period of time, you will see the fledglings begining to sample different foods on their own, with spray millet being a great favorite, along with slices of cucumber and other greens, then the regular seed mix (as they get a bit older). Although chicks appear to be eating, the parents will continue feeding, usually for approximately two weeks, at which point, they will begin weaning the chicks.

Once the chicks are eating and drinking on their own and the parents are no longer feeding, you can consider your younglings weaned and independent.

[debbie276]

Just what she said only I don't move or change my food and water dishes around.

[Sally]

Same here, and I also don't move the food dishes around. I use gravity seed hoppers, and the babies will eventually copy their parents and learn to use them. But first they will eat the soft food, spray millet, veggies which are in dishes on the floor of the cage.

[GouldieFledge]

Ah yes, this is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you lovezebs, debbie276 and Sally!

[lovezebs]

debbie276 and Sally

I don't move food dishes around, I simply hang spray millet close to perches where fledglings like to perch, along with some slices of cucumber and extra greens. I do make a shallow water dish available on the floor of the flight.