People are often surprised that “baby” peregrines are so big when they leave the nest. Aren’t baby birds supposed to be small?  Not when they fly.

Birds can’t begin to fly without a full set of flight feathers. Wing and tail feathers have to be fully grown, or nearly so, to make flight possible.  This is especially true for peregrine falcons who don’t leave the nest until they’re ready to fly, and that first flight is from a cliff!

By the time baby birds finish growing their flight feathers their bodies are the same size as their parents.  Some species make do with less.  Young American robins can fly when their tail feathers are still short. This makes them look smaller.

We’re fooled into thinking baby birds are supposed to leave the nest when they’re small because we often see ducklings. Baby ducks and geese walk away shortly after hatching, then swim with their parents for safety.  They don’t fly for quite a while.

So what do you think? Are the young geese in Lauri Shaffer’s photo able to fly yet?

Here are two clues to the answer:  1. They still look fuzzy with down. 2. They’re much smaller than the adult.

(photo by Lauri Shaffer, birdingpictures.com)