Bird Watching

'Feed the Young' Instinct

A young male cardinal visits the feeder regularly and has become quite used to dealing with hordes of sparrows. In fact, this morning, I caught a rare glimpse of unusual (in my opinion) bird behaviour. I think the photos reveal that, even in a 'teenage' bird, there is a 'feed the young' instinct.

In the past I've presented photos of a mature male cardinal offering seeds to a mature female cardinal and I put that down to a courting instinct/ritual. I wonder if the teen is reacting to that instinct as well or if it is being a 'good Samaritan'?

Something to think about on a gray Tuesday morning.

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Photos GH