While “chick” is a common term for a baby bird, it doesn’t accurately apply to all young avian species. Ornithology uses specific vocabulary to describe young birds, often reflecting their species, developmental stage, or unique characteristics. Exploring these distinct terms reveals the diversity in avian life cycles and the precise language used by bird enthusiasts and scientists.
The Common Term “Chick”
The term “chick” is most frequently associated with young domestic chickens and other fowl-like birds in the order Galliformes, such as quail, pheasants, and turkeys. These birds are often precocial, meaning they hatch with open eyes, downy feathers, and the ability to walk and feed themselves shortly after emerging from the egg. Though mobile, they still rely on parental guidance for protection and finding food. While “chick” is broadly used as an informal term for any baby bird, it is not scientifically precise for all species.
Specific Names for Young Birds
Many bird species have unique names for their young. Young ducks are ducklings, geese are goslings, and swans are cygnets. These terms often derive from Old English, where the suffix “-ling” was added to denote something small or young. Owlets refer to young owls, and eaglets are young eagles, both terms using the diminutive suffix “-let” to indicate a smaller version of the adult.
A young falcon is called an eyas, a term rooted in Middle English falconry. Pigeons and doves have young known as squabs. Cranes have young called colts. Other specialized names include keet for baby guineafowl and poult for young turkeys or peafowl.
Developmental Stages of Young Birds
Beyond species-specific names, terms also exist to describe the developmental stages common to many young birds. A bird that has just emerged from its egg is called a hatchling. At this stage, hatchlings are typically very vulnerable, often featherless or sparsely covered with down, with their eyes potentially still closed, and entirely dependent on their parents for warmth and nourishment.
Once a hatchling develops slightly but still remains in the nest, it is referred to as a nestling. Nestlings show more development than hatchlings, with their eyes usually open and pin feathers beginning to emerge, though they are still completely reliant on parental care. The term fledgling describes a young bird that has left the nest but has not yet mastered sustained flight. Fledglings have developed most of their flight feathers and can hop or flutter, but they are still learning to fly and forage, often remaining under parental supervision.