Leaving The Nest

A little taste of Summer - a short video of a Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) leaving the nest for the first time. Once they leave, they don't return to the nest. You can hear the sharp chirps of the parents encouraging the baby to leave. Swallows don't get as much chance to practice as some other song birds that just fly a few yards to a nearby tree. These little guys take off and are expected to keep up.

Rule of thumb is that, once you see the toes on the edge of the hole, they're ready to go (or might get a push from behind).