During the past month or so we've been enjoying watching a California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) nest right outside our kitchen window. We estimated the four chicks might fledge this week, and sure enough, when we returned home from work tonight, the nest was empty.
Interestingly, when California Scrub-Jays fledge, they are unable to fly. They spend time in nearby branches and on the ground, and the parents continue to feed them for a month or longer after they leave the nest.
This fledgling is ~22 days old. Photographed in Cotati on 21 May 2024.
I did NOT know that about baby "scrubbies."
ReplyDeleteThis little guy is adorable!
Hi, Alice!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that they left the nest before they could fly until last year when we had some fledglings in our backyard. At first we wondered if they had fallen out of the nest too early...but when I read more about California Scrub-Jay breeding behavior, it turns out that it's normal. They look like little "bunnies" hopping around the yard!
:) Jackie