June 28, 2005
Growing Chicks
The chicks are almost 3 weeks old now, and as the wonderful photos in the Gallery illustrate, their down has become darker and woolier. Osprey expert Alan Poole calls this the chicks' reptilian stage, saying it's when "they are black, scaly, and often crouch at danger, reminiscent of their reptilian ancestors."
We can see the chicks crouching for protection in several photos including this one; this posture is usually brought on by a parent calling out for them to stay low.
At about 2 weeks old, feathers begin to replace an osprey chick's down. According to Poole, "First to appear are rusty-golden pinfeathers on the head and neck. Darker body feathers follow slightly later, and primaries, secondaries and rectrices (outer feathers of the wing and tail) emerge at about 20-25 days."
When the chicks are about 30 days old, their growth will begin to slow and they will already be at about 70-80% their full-grown body weight. As for fledging, last year our chicks fledged when they were a little less than 2 months old.
If you'd like to seem some excellent close-up photos of the reptilian stage and the incoming pin feathers, check out these Maurice River osprey gallery photos.
Looking at our own Gallery, it's interesting to note that the less-than-12-hours difference in the chicks' births did seem to matter when it came to size and development. In several shots we can see that one chick reached the reptilian stage before the other did, and that chick also seemed to have a bit of a size advantage. Apparently in the world of an osprey chick, 12 hours is a long time.
Also noticeable in the Gallery is that the parents have been adding big sticks to the perimeter of the nest, now that the chicks are becoming more mobile. This behavior is much like human parents putting up a gate over the entrance to the stairs to keep the young from taking a tumble.
Also in the Gallery we can see an excellent example of the way in which the chicks relieve themselves -- based on the photo, it's clear that the birds get an amazing arc in their efforts to clear the nest.
All in all, the family seems to be doing well. The chicks often have bulging crops, so the father osprey appears to be up to the challenge of providing fish for the family, and the mother osprey appears skilled at protecting the young. They seem to be a solid family group, and we feel hopeful for their success in the coming weeks.
Our Gallery has many more great shots, so be sure to take a few minutes to look at the recently added photos and observe the emerging personalities of our two young raptors.
Technical note: Just a quick reminder for those cam watchers who might be new to the site -- if you'd like to know the weather at the Refuge, click on the "Refuge Weather" link in the lower left-hand side of the cam box. And if you'd like a detailed forecast, click on the graphic that pops up and you'll be taken to a full weather page.
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster