A couple weeks ago, I made a suggestion
based on that a bird fledges when it leaves the nest, that in some birds, a
fledgling could be a newly hatched chick that hasn’t grown feathers yet. It is an awkward suggestion though. This
message has come to birding-aus quite independently. That gives an alternative
view. Not that the concept is wrong, but by inserting another word. The view below is useful not just for the
waders and sea birds mentioned but for other groups too, such as galliformes. Of
course it still doesn’t work for ratites, which never fly.
-----Original Message-----
From:
[ On Behalf Of Jill Dening
Sent: Friday, 23
January 2009 7:13 PM
To: birding-aus
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Runners
Sorry everyone, if
you aren't familiar with the term "runner". I should have explained.
Before a shorebird or tern is able to fly, it is covered with down, and is
called a "runner". The only way it can move is to run along the
beach. It is able to do this from the time it hatches in the nest, which is a
scrape in the sand above the high tide line. The term runner is widely used
amongst people who observe shorebird and tern beach breeding. eg Pied
Oystercatchers, Red-capped Plovers, Hooded Plovers (though not in my area) all
have a runner stage where they are very vulnerable to foxes, dogs, people, 4WDs
and anything that can catch them.
As soon as the shorebird or tern grows its first feathers, it begins to fly,
and is called a fledgling.
People shouldn't throw around jargon, should they? :-)
Sorry.
Cheers,
Jill
--
Jill Dening
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
26° 51' 41"S 152° 56' 00"E
