![]() ![]() Though they have declined substantially in North America due to conversion of their preferred marshy habitat, their wide range still makes them a species of low conservation concern globally. Black Terns breed in the northern United States and Canada-as well as Eastern Europe and Russia-and migrate to coastal areas in Central and South America and the western African coast for winter. Tern chicks remain in the nest for only a few days after hatching, and then hide in nearby vegetation, running out to the nest site with mouths open wide when parents arrive with food, as captured in this photo. With their dark plumage and preference for freshwater marshes, Black Terns are anomalous from other tern species identified by their bright white plumage along the ocean coasts. As with these other terns, the Black Tern's pointed, agile wings help them swoop gracefully down to the water surface to capture fish or other prey, including moths. Wings outstretched, an adult Black Tern flutters in midair as it extends its bill with a single tiny fish to two begging young. The mother sticks close to her chicks for several weeks to defend them from predators, including hawks and eagles. Young grow rapidly and can forage on their own after a week, eating mainly small aquatic insects before switching to catching fish. The male helps little after mating, abandoning the female to incubate eggs and raise chicks alone. Mergansers nest exclusively in cavities and rely on old Pileated Woodpecker tree hollows or human-constructed nest boxes. Common Mergansers lay up to 17 eggs, so it's not uncommon to observe a parade of merganser chicks following their mom along the shore or across a freshwater lake in the summer. Based on the emergence of their tail feathers, the chicks appear little more than two-weeks old, though they already closely resemble their mother with their gray bodies and cinnamon-colored heads. Common Merganser (above)īathed in soft morning sunlight, a female Common Merganser stands guard over her six small youngsters. Read on to learn more about each species' nesting behavior and perhaps even utter a gleeful sound or two. ![]() ![]() The 15 photos in this gallery safely and crisply capture chicks of various species in all their cute and fluffy glory. Although the images below didn't snag any awards-check out the winners and Top 100 if you haven't yet-they certainly warmed our hearts. Taking pictures of baby birds from a responsible distance and with a telephoto lens is the best way to avoid causing harm to adults or young. Photographing parents with chicks also requires extra patience (feedings occur quickly and infrequently) and hypervigilance to any sign of stress in the parents or chicks. Chicks can be even more unpredictable than adults, have funny behaviors-peeping or begging for food for hours on end-and move suddenly, disrupting an otherwise beautifully in-focus image. But capturing compelling images of young birds presents its own set of challenges. Researchers think this may help to reduce aggression between the siblings, but it also may reduce the chance that predators will get both chicks.Photographing birds can be difficult, with no shortage of early morning wake-ups, frustrating weather conditions, and uncooperative subjects. When both eggs hatch, the whole family may stay together as a unit, but they often also split up, each parent taking one of the youngsters and walking off in different directions. Sandhill Crane (above)Ī female Sandhill Crane usually lays one to three eggs in a clutch, with two being the typical number. These entries in last year's Audubon Photography Awards show how it's done.Īnd don't forget: After you're done perusing these adorable photos, be sure to check out the 2019 Photo Awards winners, as well as the Top 100 entries. Should you find yourself so inspired, also consider entering the 2020 awards, which are open through April 6. But for those photographers who take the extra steps to be responsible and alert while attempting to capture moments of young birds, the rewards can be great. Special precautions are necessary when photographing these youngsters-disturbances may hurt their chances of survival, and scared or stressed-out birds make lousy photo subjects anyway. Pop quiz: What’s more appealing than a bird? Answer: a baby bird.
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