The laying season is gently nearing its close in the XperiBIRD.be nesting boxes. Some of you have even already observed the young birds taking flight! The observation has been the same from everybody: doesn’t it go fast!!
In Belgium, the laying season for blue tits and great tits takes place between April and June (a second laying period even occurs in some cases!). The period of incubation (brooding) of the eggs lasts for approximately 14 days. Next, the fledglings are fed by the two parents for approximately twenty days, during which they literally grow before your very eyes! After leaving the nest, the fledglings will not return to it, but remain for about one week within the immediate surroundings of the nest, before taking flight for other horizons! During this week of transition, the adults still watch over their offspring and continue to provide them with prey until they have learned to feed themselves. If you pay attention, you might be able to spot a family of birds! Will you be able to tell the young birds apart from their parents? The colours of their plumage are less bright and they can be differentiated through their less strong attitude in flight and their more reckless behaviour ;)
A successful day for XperiBIRD.be participants! Imminent flight
