Robin Nest Cam Lesson #4: Busting Out!
As you watch the video clips, notice all these things:
After viewing the videos, discuss these questions with your classmates or in your journal! Discussion will appear in Final Robin Cam Discussion Discussion of Questions from Lesson #3 In the first clip, the father came in with the food. Which parent deals with the baby droppings in this one? In this clip, the father fed the nestling, but the mother picked up and ate the fecal sac. In
the second clip, two of the babies are preening. Do you think it's hard
for the third baby to nap while the other two are grooming themselves?
In the third clip, the father has just fed the babies, and one of the babies poops. What does the father do with the fecal sac? Do the babies notice when he flies away? Do you think that watching him fly makes them think about the days when they, too, will be able to fly? The father carries away the fecal sac, probably to drop far from the nest, where predators will not be able to trace it. The babies all turn in his direction when he flies away, and appear to be watching him. No one knows what they're thinking, or if they're studying the way he flies. But it's fun to wonder about it! In
the fourth clip, two of the babies appear to be sound asleep and the other
is sitting quietly when suddenly the father flies in and they all pop
up. It looks like they pop up a split second before he actually lands
on the nest. How do you think they knew he was coming? Adults feed the
baby or babies that appear to be the hungriest when they return. Do you
think being very fast about this makes it more likely that they will get
some food? In the fifth clip, it's clear the nest is getting crowded. The baby who is preening is perched on the edge of the nest part of the time. Notice how big its feet are! The feet and legs of a robin reach adult size before the rest of the baby does, giving the baby a clumsy appearance. Do you think the big toes help it to preen? Those big toes are probably very helpful when the baby preens. They also probably help it balance, and are strong enough to hang on tight to the nest. This is especially important when it is scratching and preening so close to the edge!
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