Blackbird’s hatch their eggs

The incubation period for incubating Blackbird (turdus merula) is published as 13 to 14 days which for a bird of this size is quite a short time. They hatch helpless and blind covered in wispy down. I discovered the nest in my garden about 9 days ago and i t contained 3 eggs, incubation had already begun. I was expecting chicks any time now and this morning, we had baby Blackbirds. In the photo they look a little bit damp still, when they emerge from the egg they are wet. The down is yet to fluff up and as the chicks grow they will become increasingly fluffy. The eyes will open and the down will be replaced with feathers. In the next 14 day s they will increase in size and weight by more than 10 fold. I am going to take a photo every day until they fledge and it will be interesting to see how they develop day by day. Of course, as one of Europe's commonest birds they will have been studied in great detail but it's still going to be a fascinating experience.

Today, a sample weight of one chick at random was 7.4 grams.

3 responses to “Blackbird’s hatch their eggs”

Nina

April 13, 2011 at 5:13 pm

Chase, amazing pics of the baby blackbirds. I just have this awful feeling that one of the magpies that has been in the gardens has just flown off with one. Is this something that they do?

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Pauline

April 13, 2011 at 11:01 pm

I love your photograph of the baby Blackbirds.I am watching a nest at the moment in my small garden via a camera.It is nearly day 3 of incubation,and i am a total nervous wreck.I feel so helpless.The feelings of love i have for this nest is out of this world.Anyone would think it was i who were having the babies(4 eggs in total).If anything untoward would happen to this,i would be truely heartbroken.

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amymamy04@yahoo.co.uk

April 26, 2011 at 4:30 pm

I am watching a Black bird who is nesting in my small garden, actually very low down in our tree. Currently we are on day 3 of incubation, the bird goes away for a short period once or twice a day, we have 3 eggs which I have photgraphed. The male bird watches the nest and chases away smaller sparrows and even made an attack on a large cat! I can’t wait to see the baby birds as I took care of the female last year when she herself was a baby with a poorly leg. Amy

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