Chicks are being ignored

[Wombat kisses]

My zebra finches' chicks hatched a week ago, and until today i never saw them left alone in the nest for more than 10 seconds. Today, I watched my male and female flying around, eating, bathing, and playing together, ignoring their chicks for at least 30 minutes. The chicks seemed fine, both were wiggling and neither one begging to be fed.

My question is whether this is normal. At one week old are the chicks safe to be in the nest alone for extended periods, are the parents just following nature's protocol?

Thanks!

[Sally]

Wombat kisses Perfectly normal for the parents to start leaving the nest for longer periods of time. That first week is critical, and the parents will rarely leave the nest empty for any length of time at all, but now they are relaxed enough to take a real break.