Did you know that some baby birds leave their nest within hours of hatching?
Chicks, turkeys, pheasants and quails leave the nest as soon as they dry off after hatching. So do ducks, geese, swans and cranes.
These birds have long incubation periods of nearly a month and all hatch on the same day. The mother bird waits until she lays all her eggs to start the incubation process.
These birds are able to leave the nest as soon as they hatch and begin to run or swim immediately and know how to catch and eat insects and/or eat plant matter.
All other birds hatch blind, naked, and totally helpless, remaining in their nest for up to 12 weeks, depending upon bird species, to be cared for by their parents.
Cowbirds are the odd birds that lay their eggs in another birds nest, forcing other birds to