Calvin Chang a.k.a. deswitch documented Striated (=Little) Heron (Butorides striatus) chicks moving around the branches of the tree where their nest was in September 2008. The adults were not around for the entire morning when Calvin was there. The chicks were probably hungry and decided to move out of the nest looking for food.
These herons nest in trees, building a simple platform of twigs. A clutch usually consists of three eggs, with as many chicks fledging. When the chicks are old enough but not yet ready to fledge, they have been known to wander off the nest, moving on to the branches of the tree to explore the surroundings. Sometimes a chick may fall off or get pushed off by its sibling. Such aggression among siblings is not uncommon as competition for food brought in by the adults can be fierce. In 2007 a chick was picked up from below its nest and looked after. Check out the 12-part series of how the chick was looked after to be subsequently released HERE.
This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.
