Re: [MDOsprey] Question about immature Cardinal
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Mon, 4 Oct 1999 17:26:36 -0500
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