Chook Me!

How exactly does the Finch parents teach their chicks how to fly?

I have 5 chicks that are at the fledgling state, and 3 chicks are laying at the bottom of the cage. Every time I am peeking at them, the parents are just jumping from a perch to another, not too close to the chicks. Are the chicks learning that way? I mean, how does it happen? Does anyone know ?!

Public Comments

1. I have bred finches for 12 years along with bugies, cockatiels, lovebirds,etc. The fledglings actually leave the nest when they are ready. If they take too long the parents will give them a little push. This normally happens if there is just one fledgling. If there are more than one they normally follow their sibling. The parents teach them how to fly by hopping around them & like you said, hop from perch to perch. It's amazing to watch these little creature grow up into adults...You'll notice the parents are more active when they have chicks, becasue they are showing them how to function their wings. Keep a close eye on the parents. Be sure they aren't plucking feathers. When the chicks are approx. 3 months old, remove them from the parents as they will be ready to breed again. Good luck
2. They will be fine as long as the parents are still feeding them and they are warm enough. Yes this is how they learn. Their muscles are not strong enough yet to carry them. They will hop, flop and jump around the bottom till they get it right.