How long does it take to raise a ringed plover chick?
It’s a cold winter day in February. The temperature is 0°C, wind is howling and it’s snowing. But dotted along the Northumberland coast there are several pairs of ringed plover scouting out potential nesting sites for the coming spring. They might not look like they are doing much, probably hunkered down in a sheltered spot to escape the worst of the winter weather, but they are watching. Is this spot free from predators? How much is this site disturbed by people? Is this going to be a safe area to raise chicks? Over the coming weeks and months, the birds will continue to assess the suitability of this site, and if they think it’s good enough they will establish this as their breeding territory, driving away any other birds which may be thinking about doing the same thing!
A pair of ringed plover establishing a nesting territory
It is now mid-April. Temperatures are rising, days are getting longer and the ringed plovers are still hanging about in the same spot. Wildlife rangers put out a loop of fencing around the area, along with signage asking people to give the site lots of space. The birds seem to appreciate the peace, and can now begin getting ready for nesting. They have affirmed their pair bond by making beautifully agile areal displays called a butterfly flight, sometimes done by the male and sometimes done together in unison. A series of ‘dummy scrapes’ have been made across their territory to search for the best place to lay their eggs – where can they get the best all-round view so predators can’t sneak up on them?
A male ringed plover doing a butterfly flight
Day 1 – the first egg is laid
The perfect place has been chosen and 1 small, well camouflaged egg appears in a nest resembling a footprint on the shingle. 1 egg will be laid each day over the following 4 days.
A ringed plover nest with 3 eggs
Day 3 – incubation begins
The birds begin to incubate when the third egg is laid to ensure that the embryos develop at the same rate and therefore hatch at the same time. Both the male and female will incubate their eggs; a bird on the nest at all times while the other feeds close by, always on the lookout for danger.
A ringed plover incubating eggs inside a nest protection area
Day 26 – the eggs hatch
Around 23 days after incubation starts, the eggs hatch! Four tiny chicks enter the world and are quickly exposed to the reality of life on the shore. At just a few hours old, the chicks are strong enough to stand up and take their first steps, leaving the nest in search of food. Being precocial means they must feed themselves, but their parents are always close by to show their young where to find invertebrates. The adult birds are incredibly attentive parents, constantly communicating with the chicks to guide them across the shore to feeding spots and to tell them to hide when predators are near. Feeding resources are precious, and as well as predators, the adults will drive away any other bird that tries to feed in their territory, unwilling for anything else to eat food that is reserved for their chicks.
A freshly hatched ringed plover chick being brooded on the nest
Day 31 – the chicks are 5 days old
The chicks are still very small, but they are becoming more adventurous by the day. Wet sand and mud is where they are going to find the most nutritious food, such as lugworms and small crustaceans living within the sediment. Adults often guide their young to these areas, but this means they leave the safety of the fenced off nest protection area at the top of the beach, exposing them to the dangers of the open shore. People and dogs walking by are a huge threat, as the young birds’ instinct is to freeze when danger is approaching, relying on their camouflage to keep them hidden. Adult birds will alarm call and try to distract predators, including people and dogs, away from their chicks, sometimes even pretending to have a broken wing to make them look like an easier meal.
A ringed plover chick at around 5 days old
Day 36 – the chicks are 10 days old
The chicks are growing quickly! They are still unable to thermoregulate as their feathers are still developing, and so must be kept warm by their parents, especially when it’s raining. It is around this age when they can be colour ringed, a strategy used by conservationists all over the world to track the movement of birds. At 10 days old, the chicks are big enough so that the colour rings do not interfere with their ability to crouch or hinder their mobility. More information about our colour-ringing scheme can be found here.
A ringed plover chick around 10 days old
Day 47 – the chicks are 21 days old
At three weeks old, the chicks are around the same size as the adults. They have spent the past 21 days learning how to be a shorebird and are now ready to start testing out their wings. Flight feathers are almost fully developed, and over the next few days they will make very short flights to build up the strength in their wings.
2 ringed plover chicks at around 21 days old with their parent
Day 51 – the chicks fledge
It takes 25 days from hatching for the chicks to have developed enough to fly over 50 metres, and at this stage we can class them as fledglings. They can confidently fly away from danger and move to more productive feeding grounds if needed. Their parents have done an amazing job raising their young, their mission to produce the next generation of ringed plover accomplished.
Where will they go now? We’re not sure, but we hope to find out more as we get reports of the fledglings being spotted by birders, maybe even as far away as northern Africa! Wherever they end up spending the winter, we hope to see them back in Northumberland on a cold, snowy day in February next year, ready to start the process all over again.
Ringed plover fledgling UAH at around 2 months old
