リュウキュウアオバズク2巣で4羽が巣立ち
毎年ほぼ同じ日に巣立つアオバズクの2営巣地を見てきました。やはり今年も昨年とほぼ同日の巣立ちでした。
ヒナの成長具合からみると、巣立ちして2日ほどたっているようです。
When I visited the first nest, three Brown Hawk-Owl chicks were lined up together. The two parent birds were a short distance away. At this nesting site I had only been able to find one fledgling last year, but this year all five — parents and chicks — were grouped together, making them easy to find.
The eldest.
The second son.
The restless third son.
The female Brown Hawk-Owl watching over her chicks. This female can be identified by the large bleed from the pupil into the iris of her left eye.
The other nest produced only one fledgling. At this site I had found two last year, but this year just one.
The male parent of the fledgling above. This individual is noticeably smaller than the female, which makes him easy to pick out.
The female parent. Her plumage is quite ragged — you can see how hard raising chicks has been.