Birds Mom Awards: The Good, the Bad, and the Just Plain Weird
05/11/2012
Mother birds employ wildly different reproductive strategies, nearly all of them successful. From a human point of view, however, some moms seem “better” than others. Here are the National Audubon Society's first-ever “Mother Hen Awards” for distinctive parenting styles, just in time for Mother's Day.
1) Best Bird Mom: Osprey
Osprey mothers take parenting seriously. They do most of the incubation and care for the hatchlings for weeks after they appear. Ospreys are famous for aggressive defense of their nests. Researchers venturing too close to a nest report harrowing near misses from osprey talons. Mom and the chicks dine mostly on fresh fish, caught daily and delivered by dad.
Clutch size: 2-4
For more information:
All About Birds
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2) Coolest Bird Mom: Least Tern
A least tern parent (males and females look the same) feeding a fish to a small chick near St Augustine, Florida. Photograph: Craig ONeal/CC-by-2.0
Least Terns are beach breeders, generally nesting in a scrape of sand or pebbles just above the high tide line. On warm days Tern moms will stand over eggs and hatchlings to shade them from the sun. On hot days, mother terns will soak her belly feathers in the ocean and return to give her brood a cool sponge bath.
Clutch size: 1-3
For more information:
All About Birds
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
3) Martha Stewart Award: Prothonotary Warbler
Female prothonotary warbler. Rondeau Provincial Park, 2005; de: Zitronenwaldsänger. Photograph: Mdf/CC-by-3.0
Although warbler dads select the nest site—typically a low cavity in trees typical of bottomland or swamp forests—mother warblers assume the heavy-duty homemaking, and they take their responsibility seriously. Warbler moms will spend as many as eight days constructing and outfitting the nest. They build layer upon layer of soft material using a variety of mosses, leaves, and even fishing line when they can find it.
Clutch size: 3-7 eggs
For more information:
All About Birds
Article: "The Enchanted Forest"
4) Flightiest Mom: Wilson’s Phalarope 
Female Wilson’s phalarope (males are duller in color). Photograph: Dominic sherony/CC-by-2.0
These aquatic sandpipers are well known for their avian role reversal: Dads provide all the parental care. After a female lays her first egg in a scrape, the male picks up where she left off, arranging vegetation in and around the scrape. Fathers also incubate and provide for the brood, their (temporary) mates having deserted the family upon finishing their egg-laying.
Clutch size: 3-4
For more information:
Audubon
U.S. Geological Survey
5) Laziest Mom: Brown-headed Cowbird
Female cowbird. Photograph: ibm4381/CC-by-20
Mother cowbirds outsource the job—by laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. More than 200 species, including red-winged blackbirds, yellow warblers, and red-eyed vireo, are unwitting surrogate moms for these chicks. Some species keen to the cowbird’s plan build over her eggs or boot them out of the nest, but most simply don’t know what’s happened until the cowbirds hatch. Surprise!
Clutch size: For brown-headed cowbirds, the idea of a “clutch size,” doesn’t really apply, according to bird expert Kenn Kaufman. A host's nest might have more than one cowbird egg in it—likely from multiple females. During the breeding season, a female brown-headed cowbird may lay up to 40 eggs (not all in one nest).
For more information:
All About Birds
Audubon Guides
6) "Group Effort" Mom: Barn Swallow
Barn swallows. Photograph: Ben Knoot
Raising young Barn Swallows sometimes takes a village, with both extra adults and older siblings serving as mother’s helpers. Virtual “aunts” and “uncles” assist in nest-building, incubation and brooding—and defend the nest by mobbing predators. Big brothers, sisters, and older “cousins” help out by feeding insects to the baby chicks. Cup-shaped mud structures lined with grass and feathers, Barn Swallow nests are often built on man-made structures like eaves, rafters and cross beams in sheds and stables.
Clutch size: 4-5
For more information:
All About Birds
Audubon
Comments
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Mom was setting on the new
Mom was setting on the new eggs in the nest. I have films of how they take care of the babies and how they hatch and fledge. web design company bangalore
In view of all the movies
In view of all the movies and TV programs about them, there can be little doubt that the best moms and dads in the avian world simply have to be the Emperor Penguins. Their committment to their offspring still astoundis me, even after all of the publicity should have made their story somewhat humdrum..
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It's a pity that the brown
It's a pity that the brown headed cowbird is always singled out as a nest parasite when there are actually about 165 birds that do that. I used have about 50 in my yard before Fish and Game decided to exterminate thousands of the local birds. It's difficult to know which side they are on.
Have you heard of the
Have you heard of the "Soprano Effect" as researcher call it? If the otherwise adoptive parents of the cowbird's egg pushes it out of the nest, or any person does so, the cowbirds will return and destroy the nest.
Happy mother's day to all
Happy mother's day to all the mother birds.
The Cardinal dad is an avid
The Cardinal dad is an avid feeder of his offspring. He comes to the bird feeder with his baby who sits a couple of feet away in the tree and incessantly flies back and forth to feed the little one.
Starling parents both rock!
Starling parents both rock! They used to nest in the ceiling above our living room window and we'd time their marathon feeding forays, which averaged under one minute per trip. For two weeks mom and dad took turns bringing home worms, moths and other living prey. From sunrise to sunset, one left the instant the other arrived, the babies chirping merrily upon each return. What a job! In addition to being devoted parents they immitate random sounds, including human speech, like their relative the common myna. Commercial agriculture abhors the starling; massive government-sponsored eradication programs have reduced their numbers by the millions. These fascinating and endearing creatures are now on the Red List, having declined by over 70% in England, and have almost totally disappeared here in Redmond, Washington. A sterile, plowed-flat world free from insects and birds is Monsanto's vision of the future. I'm glad I can remember fields of wildflowers humming with bee song and blue skies teeming with winged life. China's poisonous, wall-to-wall dustbowl and its total lack of pollinators is where we're headed without serious and immediate reform. First, outlaw all poisoning. Then extricate our food supply from the death grip of Big Ag through regulation aimed at market leveling. There may still be time to turn things around.
I never use pesticides or
I never use pesticides or herbicides on my lawn. Pesticides kill many of the soil insects parent birds forage to feed their babies. Plus, these chemicals aren't good for our own environment and health. When I listen to the numerous commercials in the spring for 'complete lawn care' products and garden herbicides, it makes me wonder how much the use of these chemicals harms urban wildlife. I like to think that my home is a chemical-free oasis for the birds that I love so much.
Hi Greyling; I't's sad but
Hi Greyling;
I't's sad but Starlings don't belong here anymore than pigeons, bullfrogs, carp, english ivy or himalayan blackberries. These species are all aggressively outcompeting all natives that live in their chosen habitats. Starlings are beautiful in many ways but they ARE an imported pest that displaced other native birds that need the chance to come back. For that to happen they've gotta go. I'm 65 and things were already messed up before I came along. I'd really love to see what the natural species were before these animal invasions. AND before ours.
I DO appreciate your sentiments. Not their fault they were imported.
I am in awe @ the brave,
I am in awe @ the brave, fierce AND graceful aviation tactics executed by the mom mockingbirds when fighting predators. They never stop dive-bombing huge hawks, or aggressive, enormous crows...protecting their precious eggs or newborns for hours without a break. Amazing discipline and dedication which is from their pure DNA! Incredible opposite behavior compared to their joyful, melodious & whimsical singing during most hours of the day...I ADORE THEM!!!
I have a camera in my
I have a camera in my Bluebird box and have watched the same birds for four years. The Daddy bird even fed the new fledglings when he had a broken leg. Mom was setting on the new eggs in the nest. I have films of how they take care of the babies and how they hatch and fledge. Cowbirds do what they do because they used to follow the buffalo on the plains and could not stay in one area.
They jjust gave their eggs over to babysitting by other birds. It is sad that the host parents' babies died because they could not compete with the larger baby cowbirds.
I was thrilled to have
I was thrilled to have bluebirds nest in my yard this year. I'm not sure who did most of the parentling as I often saw both parents flying to the nest. I was luck to be home on the day the babies fledged, and both parents hung around as three wobbly little flyers ventured around my yard. That was a few weeks ago but the fledglings are still around with mom and dad as well.
There are lots of
There are lots of mockingbirds around our area, and i love the way they defend their nests. I love to watch the way they will chase off and harass any intruder who comes near their nest, even large crows ans squirrels.
I think Bald Eagle parents,
I think Bald Eagle parents, especially those of the Decorah nest and MN Bound (Harmon) are the best. The care and attentiveness shown to Harmon after his ordeal and return to the nest, should win hands down.
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitte...
http://www.ustream.tv/mneaglecam
I agree... I spent four
I agree... I spent four months watching a pair of bald eagles raise their two eaglets. Best parents ever! I think they should have been on the list. :-)
Meeeee too!!!! I've been
Meeeee too!!!! I've been watching Decorah Eagles for 2 years, and they are perfect parents...couldn't be better!!!
Agree with everyone about
Agree with everyone about the Decorah eagle parents. That Dad is amazing--still hanging out with the very large eaglets!
This is a wonderful post!
This is a wonderful post! Really fun and funny. I love to watch the barn swallow take care of its young - especially during flying lessons. That cowbird is one smart woman, if legally neglectful and intrusive!
My mother was a tern, God keep her in his loving care.
As for dads, the Baltimore oriole is my top choice for hands-on parenting. The red-winged blackbird wins the protective parent award. I've seen him high in the sky, diving at hawks or a great blue heron. He jumps on their back, digs in his claws and pecks at them! They leave the area!
Thanks for a fun read!
There is a Phoebe nest every
There is a Phoebe nest every year on my house, and every year some big headed, wide-mouthed cowbird baby shows up, towering over the baby Phoebes and swallowing most of the food. If I had the heart, I would remove it, but that is nature and the nasty little squawker needs to eat too.
I think killdeer are the
I think killdeer are the coolest parents. Even dad broods the eggs and chicks. Geese are also cool, too.
I'd like to see the awards
I'd like to see the awards for the best avian dads, too. In some species, the dads do even more parenting than the moms!
This is hysterical! Love
This is hysterical! Love it! Though my mom would not be pleased if she were around and knew I called her a Brown Headed Cowbird. Hey, the truth hurts, lol.
You need to tell about the
You need to tell about the mother hummingbirds who are deserted by the fathers & may be taking care of more than one nest at a time!
Great page! I would've loved
Great page! I would've loved to have sent it to my Mom for Mother's Day. Oh well, sending to her now anyway :o)