Birds mature so quickly, relative to humans, that it's as if our entire youth is encapsulated in one short season. I watched a juvenile robin the other day, and it seemed to have the clumsiness of toddlerhood simultaneously with the awkward appearance of the middle-school "'tweens" and the cocky idiocy of the teenage years. A dangerous combination, to be sure. He (or she) hopped around, his flight feathers looking spiky and messy, unsure of his destination... but sure he was going somewhere!
When I was in 7th grade, my teacher had a poster hanging in the classroom that said (this is paraphrased), "Teenagers -- tired of being harassed by your stupid parents? Act now, move out, get a job, pay your own bills, while you still know everything!" That poster was being derisive towards human teenagers, but in the animal world, this over-confidence must have great evolutionary value. The time to figure it all out -- and I mean all... flying, nesting, mating, all the challenges of being an adult -- is so terribly fleeting. Hesitation is tantamount to death.
So enjoy fledgling season, folks, and be thankful you don't have to go through any of those life stages again... let alone at the same time!
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