# How do chicks learn to fly?



## Duckie (Feb 13, 2008)

Here is a silly question that popped in my mind since some of M&M's chicks are now flapping their wings  

How do I teach the chicks to fly, or do they do it on their own? How do they learn? I was always under the impression that in wild birds, the parents taught the chicks to fly. Also, at what age should I encourage this?


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I don't know how they actually Learn, but I know when i was hand feeding mine, they were just about all the way feathered a little over a month (in between a month and half to 2 months or so I'd say) and I pulled one out of the brooder to feed them. sat down got the spoon to their beak and off they went flying around my living room About a week to a week and half before that, they wouldn't hold still to eat, they were more into running around and playing then eating, Then once they started flying it was a chore to get them to eat 1st, then fly around later 

when they were in the brooder There was tons of wing flapping, Pooh was a good one for binging roo right in the eye when he'd sit in the brooder and flap away. 


I always thought the parents taught them too in the wild, Actually i was told the parent(s) knocked them out of the nest and made them fly (always thought that was rude and cruel) but I never did anything to the one's i hand fed to 'teach' them to fly they just took off flying


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

They just seem to do it one day as atvchick said. They are very clumsy at first though so be sure to watch closely!


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

They will pretty much learn from instinct (which is why they're flapping). It'll help if they see other tiels flying *their parents*. Baby did not know how to fly until she was about 2-almost 3. And I mean at all. I had to teach her since she wanted to like Ziggy. She did the flappies with me for weeks after watching Ziggy until she learned. Now she's so gracefull. Try not to clip their wings at all right now as it's important that they learn while they're young and it also helps them develop strong muscles as they're growing.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Birds learn how to fly much like a human toddler learns to walk - a combination of instinct and practice. Not all birds are instinctive flyers, however.. most birds cannot fly until their muscle structure has had time to develop.

All of this practice time, awkward as it may seem, does teach the fledgling about the mechanics of flight. Falls to the ground become more controlled as the young bird stretches out his or her wings. Bird parents continue to encourage their brood to leave the nest for longer periods of time. Some species actually adopt a tough love policy, leaving the fledglings alone to develop their own flying instincts.

After a few weeks of practice and imitation, young birds learn more advanced flying techniques - how to use the wind for lift, how to spot rising thermals and how to make controlled landings. Eventually, all of these elements become instinctive. For birds, flying is an incredibly taxing exercise. Some bird experts compare it to human jogging times ten. Each breath a bird takes is much more concentrated than an equivalent human breath. 

Birds also have very well-developed pectoral muscles for constant wing motion and an exceptionally strong heart for endurance. Hollow bones reduce drag and the natural curve of the wings creates significant lift. Most birds are literally swimming through the air, using the weight of the air beneath them to keep them aloft.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Wanted to add- just be ready to "save" some crashed landings...


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