From the moment they pip through their shells, baby birds in the United States, like their counterparts worldwide, are thrust into a whirlwind of critical development. While some species emerge feathered and ready to follow, others are born utterly helpless, blind, and naked. Yet, regardless of their initial state, the first 24 hours of a hatchling’s life are packed with astonishing learning and instinctual actions that lay the foundation for survival.

It’s a period of intense sensory input and rapid adaptation, where the tiny, vulnerable chick begins to decode its new world and forge the crucial bonds necessary for growth. We explore what baby birds learn in their first 24 hours, revealing the immediate, often surprising, lessons that define their earliest moments and set them on the path to independence.

The incredible thing about baby birds is that what they learn in their first 24 hours depends dramatically on whether they are altricial or precocial. These are two fundamental developmental strategies in the avian world.

Altricial Birds (Most Common U.S. Songbirds, Raptors, Herons, etc.)

Altricial chicks hatch in a very undeveloped, helpless state. They are typically blind (eyes closed), naked or sparsely downed (no feathers for insulation), and immobile. Hence, they are completely dependent on their parents for everything. For these birds, the learning in the first 24 hours is primarily instinctual responses and basic sensory recognition.

Gape Response (Begging)

This is perhaps the most critical skill newly emerged chicks need. Almost immediately upon hatching, altricial chicks will instinctively gape (open their mouths wide and beg) when they sense vibrations in the nest, hear parental calls, or feel the slight pressure of a parent landing on the nest. This automatic behavior is crucial for receiving food.

Vocalization

They also begin to make soft peeping or chirping sounds. These calls serve to alert parents to their presence and hunger. As they get bigger and stronger, of course, these calls get louder and more insistent.

Temperature Regulation (or Lack Thereof)

They learn very quickly that they cannot regulate their own body temperature and will instinctively huddle together for warmth and rely entirely on the parents’ brooding (sitting on them) to stay warm. This is a critical lesson in dependence.

Sensory Recognition (Limited)

While blind, they might begin to recognize the vibrations of the nest or the unique calls of their parents. Their world is very small – essentially the nest and the presence of the other chicks and their parents.

Digestion and Elimination

Their tiny bodies start the process of digesting the first meals (often regurgitated by the parents) and instinctively producing fecal sacs, which parents usually remove to keep the nest clean and deter predators.

Example: American Robin

Hatching (Hours 0-2)

The chick uses an egg tooth to chip away at the shell and eventually break free. This can be a tiring process, and the chick will be wet and somewhat exhausted upon emerging. A newly hatched American Robin chick is a sight that might surprise those used to fluffy ducklings. They are mostly naked, perhaps with a little downy fluff, appearing mostly bare with pinkish-yellow, translucent skin. You can sometimes see internal organs like their liver or gall bladder through their skin. Their eyes are tightly shut and will remain so for about five days. They cannot walk, fly, or regulate their own body temperature. They are essentially a tiny, gaping mouth on a wobbly body.

Immediate Parental Care (Hours 0-24 and beyond)

The female robin is crucial during this period. She will sit on the newly hatched chicks almost constantly, providing vital warmth to keep their delicate bodies at the correct temperature. Without this, the chicks would quickly get cold and perish. Almost immediately after hatching, the chicks are ready to be fed. Their primary instinct is to beg for food. 

When they sense a parent’s arrival, they will instinctively stretch their necks high and open their mouths wide, displaying their bright yellow or orange gape (the inside of their mouth) as a target for the parent. Initially, parents will typically feed them partly digested, regurgitated food, which is easier for the tiny chicks to swallow and process. This progresses to small pieces of worms and insects.

To keep the nest clean and free of odors that might attract predators, newly hatched robin chicks produce their waste in neat, membrane-bound fecal sacs. The parents will carefully remove these sacs from the nest, either carrying them away and dropping them at a distance or sometimes even ingesting them for their nutritional content.

The chicks remain huddled together in the cup-shaped nest. Their movements are limited to begging for food and shifting slightly within the nest. They are entirely confined to the nest for the first couple of weeks of their lives.

Precocial Birds (Ducks, Geese, Chickens, Quail, Shorebirds, etc.)

Precocial chicks hatch in a much more advanced state. They are typically hatched with their eyes open, covered in downy feathers and mobile. They can walk, run, or swim within hours. This means that as soon as they are dry and warm, they are partially independent in finding food, but they do still need parental guidance and protection. For these birds, the first 24 hours involve more active learning and immediate survival skills

Imprinting

This is a crucial and rapid form of learning. Within the first 24 hours, they will imprint on the first large moving object they see and hear, which is almost always their mother. They will follow her, recognizing her as their parent and source of safety. This instinct is vital for flock cohesion and protection.

Locomotion

They quickly learn to walk, run, or swim (depending on species) and coordinate their movements to follow the parent. A duckling, for example, will be able to waddle and swim almost immediately after drying.

Basic Foraging

While parents may lead them to food sources, many precocial chicks (like ducklings) will begin to peck at suitable food items like small insects or plant matter within hours of hatching. They learn what is edible by observing their mother and through trial and error.

Predator Recognition/Avoidance

They learn quickly to respond to alarm calls from their parents, freezing or hiding when danger is perceived. This isn’t full recognition, but a crucial survival response.

Thermoregulation (Partial)

While they have down, they still rely on their parents for brooding, especially in cooler weather, to maintain optimal body temperature. They learn when to seek warmth and will huddle underneath the parent during the night and in colder weather.

Example: Killdeer

The first 24 hours of a Killdeer chick’s life are a remarkable display of precocial development. Killdeer chicks emerge from their eggs ready to move and forage.

Hatching (Hours 0-2)

The chick begins by making a small hole in the eggshell, pecking with its egg tooth. Over several hours, it continues to chip away at the shell in a circular motion called zipping until it can push its way out. Upon hatching, the chick is wet and appears somewhat disheveled from the effort.

Drying and Gaining Strength (Hours 2-6)

Within a few hours, their downy feathers dry and fluff up, transforming them into incredibly cute, compact balls of buff-colored down with characteristic black breast bands.

Leaving the Nest (Soon After Drying)

This is one of the most astonishing aspects of Killdeer chicks. As soon as their down is dry, they are capable of leaving the shallow scrape that served as their nest. The parents often remove the eggshells to avoid attracting predators.

Active and Foraging (Hours 6-24)

This is where you can see how highly developed these incredible birds are at birth. They are born with their eyes open and the ability to walk, run, and even search for food almost immediately. While they can forage on their own, they stay close to their parents for protection and guidance. The adult Killdeers are highly vigilant and will use their famous broken-wing display to distract any perceived threats away from their vulnerable young.

With the help of their parents, they begin to peck at the ground for small invertebrates like worms and insects. If and when a perceived threat approaches, the chicks will often freeze in place, relying on their excellent camouflage to blend into their surroundings. Their mottled feathers make them incredibly difficult to spot against gravel or dirt. They will also seek sanctuary from predators or bad weather underneath the wings of the adults.

Final Thoughts

The learning in the first 24 hours for baby birds is overwhelmingly driven by innate instincts that are immediately activated by their environment and the presence of their parents, preparing them for the specific survival challenges of their species. An altricial chick’s life is solely focused on survival through warmth and nourishment, provided entirely by their diligent parents.

They are a perfect example of a dependent species, demonstrating rapid growth and dependence. At the other end of the spectrum, precocial birds are a whirlwind of activity, showcasing their remarkable independence and survival instincts right from the moment they hatch. They are truly born with their running shoes on. There is no end to how amazing birds are!