The thriving threesome

photo by Lincoln Karim

Green Heron news from the Upper Lobe

Remember the former fuzzy foursome? Only three of the young green herons are left; the smallest of the brood died last week, almost certainly of starvation. It isn't because there wasn't enough food. It's because he was too small and got lost in the shuffle while his bigger siblings got all the food. Two of the surviving chicks have become branchers-- that is, they're venturing out of the nest onto nearby branches, practicing flight techniques in relative safety. . One remains in the nest , at least when last seen .

Many young birds in tree nests become branchers in preparation for fledging. How did the Fifth Ave nestlings from 1995 to 2004 manage this stage when born in a nest far from any tree? Similarly, what about the Trump Park kids on a sheer wall thirty-five stories from street level? They used adjacent balconies, ledges, fire escapes and rooftops as their branches, hopping from one to another in preparation for longer flight.