This is the busiest time of the year for birds. Some species are building nests, others are sitting on eggs or feeding young while a few are watching their youngsters experience the early days of flight. Generally,
the earlier birds arrive from the south, the sooner they get started. Ofcourse, those that live here year-round, like chickadees and woodpeckers, have a leg up on the competition.

The length of time that birds incubate varies widely and corresponds to the size of the species. It is around 12 days for warblers and 36-42 days for Ospreys. Small birds may leave the nest in 10-14 days while it can be 10-12 weeks for eagles. Then there are some ground-nesting birds like Killdeer that leave the nest once all the eggs have hatched. They arrive feathered and are able to move almost immediately. These birds have legs unusually long at hatching, enabling them to run very quickly.

Happy Birding!

Brian Morin

Publisher of Ontario Birding News