It was so much fun watching these two little Downy Woodpecker chicks perched on the branch, waiting for mom or dad to bring them some food from our suet. You can see one of them getting fed while the other one waits patiently for his turn.
So cute, don’t you think?
Downy woodpecker fun parenting fact:
“This nestlings are altricial (helpless) when they hatch, but they develop very quickly. The parents brood them constantly for the first 4 days after hatching. Both parents also feed the chicks. The chicks leave the nest after 18 to 21 days. The parents continue to take care of the fledglings for at least three weeks. They feed them, lead them to food sources and warn them of potential predators.”
http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Picoides_pubescens/
I took that photo a couple of days ago. Today I saw one of the chicks at one of our bird feeders, so they must be learning! It was a finch feeder!