Re: [MDOsprey] Question about immature Cardinal
Emily Joyce (ejoyce@toad.net)
Mon, 04 Oct 1999 20:28:38 -0400
Norm and Dianne,
I had a fledgling cardinal being fed by papa cardinal over the weekend, too.
Apparently it has been a busy breeding season, but I only noticed one
young one this time. Of course, Misty (the neighborhood feline menace)
may have contributed to the small brood, too.
Emily Joyce
Crownsville
Norm Saunders wrote:
> Dianne Depuy writes:
>
> > I am an as-yet inexperienced and uneducated birder, so I want to ask the rest of
> > you out there if it is normal to see a young Cardinal being fed and/or led by
> > its father at this time of year?
>
> Dianne,
>
> According to the MD Yellow Book, the latest known egg date for
> Northern Cardinal is September 2. Cardinals incubate their eggs
> for 12-13 days, then there is another 11-12 days until fledging.
>
> If we assume the birds you saw were double- or possibly triple-
> brooding and they laid their eggs September 2, then the chicks
> would fledge about September 25-27. I would imagine the
> chicks will continue to beg for food for another few weeks after
> fledging, which would put them into mid-October, so your sighting
> of a begging chick, while on the latish side, is certainly within
> the realm of possibility!
>
> Best,
> Norm
>
> ===============
> Norm Saunders
> Colesville, MD
> osprey@ari.net