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Aerial lessons for sparrows? (1 Viewer)

Gretchen

Well-known member
This morning (in a US Midwest backyard) I watched some interesting behavior by what I think were Chipping Sparrows (lbjs, clear breasts, and some very sharp "chip" calls).

I didn't get a good look at the two birds because for 15 minutes they were moving almost non-stop. One bird was closely chasing the other through and around several tall evergreens, circling extensively (and when they paused they were usually well hidden in the greenery). There was a bit of calling, but not extensive and I didn't see any signs of aggression - just constant high speed chasing. As I watched longer and tried to figure out what was going on, I thought perhaps the lead bird was the more agile, so that made me wonder if it was flight lessons for a youngster. I saw the second bird start following a little less closely at the end I believe.

Have others seen something like this with small passerines? It really looked like learning evasive maneuvers. If is was earlier in the season, I might have thought it had something to do with pairing or defending territory, but it seems the wrong time for that.
 
I really don't know about flight lessons. I have seen young little birds chasing their parents (for food) so closely, that it really looked like an aggression! The time comes, when the parents won't feed them anymore! the chicks are very hungry, and try to force the nearest adult to give something!

On the other hand adults also sometimes use food to make the chicks come out of the nest (at least some larger species), or to teach them that they have to "go for it", no free food for the lazy bird anymore! At least this was my understanding when I saw this Common Kestrel playing with a mouse and followed by its chick, for example. Some form of training.

Another example: I have spotted many interactions between birds, one chasing the other, even from different species, without sign of real aggression. Last weeks, looking at the bee-eaters colony, I have seen a young Golden oriole, a young Common Blackbird and several Barn Swallow chasing them, but no real contact, and when the bee-eater lands on a branch, the chaser doesn't attack it, but sometimes also rests on a close branch. I don't know how to interpret this, maybe they are just curious, because of the bright colours? or they see the bee-eaters with so many large insects that they are envious? Who knows what happens in a bird brain?

Well, all this to say that to answer your question, maybe someone who really knows that species could answer!
 
Thanks for the reply S-man! Interesting pic and story about the kestrels.

I thought about it being the kid chasing the parent for food. It just seemed to be such fast and evasive flying, and go on a long time - seemed very intentional. It may well be the parent knows its time to stop feeding, and as they "wean" the fledglings (i.e. persuade them that they won't be fed), they get to do some fancy flying and inadvertently the youngsters learn how to evade.

It could have been youngsters chasing each other - they did look a bit similar.
 
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