Do nestlings make noise?

Yes, nestlings definitely make noise. Nestlings are baby birds that are not yet able to leave the nest. As they grow and develop in the nest, nestlings make a variety of noises and vocalizations.

Why do nestlings make noise?

There are a few main reasons why nestlings make noise:

• To communicate hunger – Nestlings beg for food from their parents by making loud chirping or screeching noises. This signals to the adult birds that the babies are hungry and need to be fed.
• To compete with siblings – In nests with multiple chicks, the nestlings often have to compete with each other for food and attention from the parents. Loud vocalizations can help a chick stand out and get fed before its siblings.
• To bond with parents – Nestling calls allow parents to locate their chicks in the nest. The vocalizations facilitate bonding between the parents and offspring.
• To communicate distress – Cries and calls allow nestlings to signal danger or discomfort to parent birds. This elicits care and protection from the adults.
• To exercise syrinx – The syrinx is the avian vocal organ. Nestlings practice using their syrinx and develop adult calls through repeating vocalizations as nestlings.

When do nestlings start making noise?

Nestling birds start vocalizing even before they hatch out of the egg. While still embryos in the egg, baby birds begin to peep and cheep – communicating with their parents and siblings. Hatchlings continue to make raucous noise to beg for food. Nestling calls generally reach peak volume when the chicks are 3-10 days old. This corresponds to a phase of rapid growth when nutritional demands are high. The frequency and volume of vocalizations decrease as nestlings grow and leave the nest.

What types of noises do different nestlings make?

The exact sounds made by nestlings depends on the bird species. Some common vocalizations include:

• Peeping
• Chirping
• Cheeping
• Squawking
• Screeching
• Crying
• Begging calls
• Distress calls

Here are some nestling noises from specific bird species:

• Songbird nestlings – chirp loudly, resembling TV or video game sound effects
• Bird of prey nestlings – high-pitched chirping mixed with occasional raspy screeches
• Goose nestlings – resonant honking that sounds like their adult calls
• Duckling nestlings – soft, high-pitched peeping
• Turkey nestlings – loud, shrill cheeping
• Owl nestlings – eerie begging calls and screeches

How loud is nestling vocalization?

The loudness of nestling bird calls varies by species. Small songbirds don’t vocalize very loudly – their peeps and chirps may only be audible up to several yards away. Larger birds like geese and owls have much louder nestling calls that can be heard from farther away. Nestling calls are meant to loudly draw parental attention and elicit feeding. However, the noises are usually not so extremely loud as to attract predators to the nest site. Here are some estimates of the volume of different birds’ nestling vocalizations:

How does nestling noise change over time?

The vocalizations of nestling birds change significantly over time as they grow and develop. Here is how nestling calls tend to change:

• Embryonic peeping – Begins days before hatching. Soft and infrequent.
• Hatchling begging calls – Starts immediately after hatching. Loud and incessant.
• Peak intensity around a week old – Nestlings screech loudly as appetite is at its highest.
• More distinct vocalization – Around 2 weeks old, species-specific traits emerge.
• Parental mimicry – Near fledging, nestlings practice adult bird calls.
• Subside near fledging – Vocalizations decrease as chicks prepare to leave nest.

So in summary, the characteristic rhythmic screeching reaches peak intensity when nestlings are freshly hatched through around 10 days old. The calls are adapted early on to strenuously elicit feeding from parents. Towards fledging, vocalization decreases but becomes more adult-like.

Do both parent birds respond to nestling calls?

In most bird species, both male and female parent birds play a role in responding to the begging calls of their nestlings. However, the exact response may vary based on factors like:

• Incubation duties – The parent that incubated the eggs often feeds newly hatched chicks.
• Feeding capabilities – In some species, only one sex can regurgitate food for young.
• Time of day – Parents may take turns feeding at different times.
• Brood size – Larger broods require both parents to respond.
• Threat level – Both parents may defend nestlings emitting distress calls.

In species where both sexes incubate and feed, like cardinals, blue jays, and owls, nestling cries elicit a fairly equal parental reaction. In others with more sex-divided duties, like woodpeckers and eagles, the nestling calls draw the primary feeding parent. But even in the latter dynamic, both parents tend to help out when more extreme screeching signals something is amiss with the chicks.

Do nestling calls vary by time of day or night?

The vocalizations of nestling birds do fluctuate at different times of day based on factors like:

• Parental activity – More calls when parents are busy feeding
• Feeding frequency – Hungry nestlings call more before meal times
• Nocturnal vs diurnal species – Different vocal patterns
• Age of nestlings – Younger chicks vocalize more consistently
• Predator avoidance – Less noise at night to avoid detection

Some general patterns based on time include:

• Morning chorus – Intense begging calls greet parent birds returning with breakfast.
• Midday lull – Nestlings call less while digesting and as temperature rises.
• Pre-dusk escalation – Another spike leading up to evening feeding.
• Overnight subsiding – Nocturnal chicks make some noise but less.

The daily peaks in vocalization correspond to peak activity and provisioning by adult birds. Nocturnal species follow the opposite pattern, calling more actively at night when parent birds are awake and hunting.

Do nestlings vocalize when predators are near?

Nestlings may make certain calls when threatened by predators, but they have limited ability to deter predators compared to adult birds. Here is how nestlings respond to predators:

• Limited threat response – Nestlings freeze or huddle down in nest when scared.
• Food-begging ceases – Chicks stop calling to avoid detection.
• Distress calls – High-pitched “squeals” or cries to get parent attention.
• No mobbing – Aggressive nest defense seen in adults.
• Rely on parents – Adults perform distraction displays and aggressive mobbing.

While nestling distress calls may summon parents to the nest, the chicks themselves have minimal capacity to drive off predators. This contrasts with many adult birds who mob predators with loud alarm calls, diving attacks, and mobbing.

Do nestlings vocalize when handling by humans?

When researchers handle bird nestlings for banding studies, or when humans intervene with fallen chicks, the birds often emit shrill distress calls. Here is how nestlings respond vocally to human handling:

• Screaming/squealing – Similar to predator alarm calls but more extreme.
• Begging peeps – Signals hunger stress to try eliciting feeding.
• Wing fluttering – Visual signal of distress.
• Defecation – Another sign of acute stress.
• Biting – Late-stage nestlings may bite handlers.
• Mobbing by parents – Adult alarm calls and attacks on handlers.

The nestling distress vocalizations, along with wing fluttering and defecation, help signal to parents that the chicks need intervention from the human intrusion. Birds that hear the calls may start angrily mobbing the perceived predator.

Do nestling calls attract predators?

This is a complicated topic. Certainly loud nestling begging calls have the potential to attract predators like snakes, cats, raccoons, and birds of prey. However, parent birds have evolved clever strategies to minimize the chances of this happening:

• Limiting volume – Calls are loud but not extreme.
• Concealing nests – Well-hidden nests muffle sounds.
• Nest guardian – One parent stays near nest when other is away.
• Perching parents – Adults calling from treetops draw attention away from nest.
• Mobbing – Driving predators away quickly.

In addition, observational evidence does not strongly support the idea that predators use nestling calls to actually locate nests. Hungry nestlings likely evolved loud vocalizations because the benefit of increased feeding from parents outweighed the small predation cost.

Do parent birds vocalize back to their nestlings?

Parent birds do often make specific vocalizations back to their begging nestlings. These adult calls serve purposes like:

• Feeding cues – Special calls to indicate incoming food.
• Settling agitated chicks – Soothing vocalizations.
• Communicating protection – Alarm calls ward off predators.
• Identification – Calls to distinguish their chicks from brood parasites.
• Teaching adult vocalizations – Parents mimic adult calls.

So while nestlings have a rather limited vocal repertoire, adult birds actually engage in complex communication with their offspring, far beyond just responding to food begging. The back-and-forth vocal interactions between parents and chicks help the nestlings develop and thrive.

Conclusion

Nestling birds have a wide range of noises and vocalizations that serve important functions in their early development. Loud begging calls ensure they get fed by hard-working parents. Screeches and squeals draw attention when the chicks are threatened or stressed. As they grow, the sounds become more refined and begin mimicking adult vocalizations while preparing to fledge. Far from being just noisy, meaningless sounds, nestling calls form a critical part of communication between young birds and their parents. The back-and-forth vocalizations help ensure the vulnerable chicks survive to adulthood.