VIDEO: Bushtit Parents Feed Six Fledglings
I heard twittering, and discovered Bushtit parents feeding 6 fledged chicks. Forced to choose between Turbotax and baby birds, I chose the bushtits. Five of the puffball chicks huddled together. What looked like the youngest was perched on a higher branch.
CLICK below to watch a 1-minute video of hard-working parents feeding their chicks.
Bushtit chick recently fledged from its nest. Yellow edging on bill will disappear as the chick matures.
VIDEO by Beth. Male Bushtit feeds a large cranefly to one chick.
Watching these little tiny birds hang onto the branches as they jostled with siblings for position fascinated me. It seemed like some were about to fall off. I was excited to capture the male feeding this large insect. My entomologist friend, Julie Zimmer, let me know it’s a cranefly.
Bushtit female (yellow iris) gathers spider silk for their long woven nest sac. March 11, 2021, Yulupa Cohousing Courtyard.
After the male (black iris) delivered the cranefly, the little guy/gal was still trying to choke it down 9 minutes later (see below).
Baby Bushtit still swallowing the large insect 9 minutes after delivery. The cranefly’s four front legs are still poking out of the fledgling’s mouth.
Leave a comment if you enjoyed the video or have any questions. I love hearing from you.
Thanks for stopping by!
—Beth
Beth Ann Mathews