Many people believe that animals are incapable of feeling things like love and fear. But, with the recent release of a picture of baby starlings huddled together on a beach, we know this is not true.
This photo has been making its way across the internet because it captures the compassion these birds have for one another. As if their situation wasn't dire enough, these babies were saved by an unlikely hero: humans. If it weren't for the help of some courageous humans, these little friends would have died on that fateful day.
Did you know that baby starlings are born without any feathers? They're then forced to endure a very long journey to adulthood. It's not easy being a baby starling! Luckily, other animals want to protect them too. We're here to tell you more about how these little babes came into existence and what they need now so they can grow up healthy and strong!
Baby Starlings in the Animal Kingdom
Did you know that baby starlings are born without any feathers? They're then forced to endure a very long journey to adulthood. It's not easy being a baby starling! Luckily, other animals want to protect them too. We're here to tell you more about how these little babes came into existence and what they need now so they can grow up healthy and strong!
What's in a baby starling?
A baby starling is born with all its feathers, but it's pretty fragile. Like humans, these little guys need to be nurtured and taken care of until they're ready to live on their own.
When a baby starling hatches from the egg, they're about 2 inches long and weigh just around 1 ounce. They're born with a lot of energy and are quite loud compared to other birds! Baby starlings depend on their parents for protection and for food for up to 10 weeks before they can fly and find food on their own.
Baby starlings also need a lot of sleep because all that energy use means they'll need plenty of rest during the day. Luckily, most adult birds will share in the responsibility of childcare so the parents can get some time off every once in a while.
The Journey of a Baby Starling
Baby starlings are born in the nests of other birds. They live there for about a month before they head out on their own. It's not easy for them to be on their own, though. Baby starlings are born without any feathers and can't fly or even hop very well at all!
So what do these little friends do? They rely on other animals to help them get through this difficult time. Since they're at the bottom of the food chain, it's not easy for them to find food to eat or anything else that will keep them alive.
Luckily, baby starlings know how lucky they are when another animal comes along and offers themselves up as a temporary parent. Sometimes it's another bird, like an owl or hawk, but any animal who has the resources is willing to help these little ones get through this trying time!
How they're born
Baby starlings are born in the spring, which is in April and May.
This is a paragraph on how babies are born.
section 3.2) How they grow up
Bird eggs are incubated by the mother, and the babies hatch after about two weeks. A baby starling will spend about six months with its parents learning to fly.
During that time, the parents will feed their young by regurgitating food into their mouths (this is called "crop feeding"). They also give them warm shelter during wintertime.
As soon as they're ready, the fledglings leave home for good! This is known as "fledge." When these little ones are born on the ground, they must learn how to eat solid foods. This is because they won't be able to fly for a while, so they need to find food on the ground.
It's all uphill from here! Once these birds reach adulthood, they'll fly more than 3,000 miles each year in search of food and water.
Why are baby starlings important?
It's hard to imagine a world without baby starlings. They're important for so many reasons and we want to tell you all about them.
Do you know how these little guys came into existence? Baby starlings are born without any feathers and have to endure a long journey to adulthood. Luckily, other animals want to protect them too!
We're here to tell you more about how these little babes came into existence and what they need now so they can grow up healthy and strong!
The future of baby starlings
How do baby starlings survive the first few weeks of their lives? After these baby starlings are hatched, they live in nests on the ground. They need to come together for warmth and protection.
But the little birds don't always make it through this crucial period without some help. Birds can be at risk of disease or predators, like dogs and birds of prey.
Luckily, there are people out there who really care about these little guys! Volunteers for organizations like Saving Starlings (Starling Alliance) work diligently to provide resources for these babies.
While many of these volunteers are animal experts, others may not be as familiar with birds. That's where you come in! Volunteering with Saving Starlings is a great way to get involved and help keep baby starlings warm and safe.
