Baby birds are quite fragile animals, their mothers are overprotective of them because of this.
These young birds can easily drown. This article looks into whether baby birds can drown in the nest.
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Can baby birds drown in the nest?
Water is life, but water can also be very dangerous. It can drown you very easily, and it can drown baby birds.
Here is what you need to know about baby birds drowning in the nest:
Drowning in the nest:
Baby birds don’t have to be stranded in a huge body of water to drown, they can drown while in the nest.
The bird’s trachea, the bird’s airway, is under the bird’s tongue unlike how a human’s is.
This can be dangerous as it makes it very easy for the bird to drown if water gets down the trachea.
If it starts to rain on the nest, or water lands on the nest, and the baby birds have their mouths open, then this water can drown the birds if it gets into the bird’s trachea.
The birds cannot close the trachea and even a small amount of water can drown the birds, especially because they are so small.
In this case, even if the birds aren’t drowned by the water, this scenario can cause the bird to develop pneumonia which can quickly kill the baby bird if not treated.
How mother birds avoid this:
In the wild, parent birds will create nests in environments that are sheltered from the elements.
Because of this, the babies will not get rained on and will be kept from drowning while in the nest.
The mother bird will also tuck her baby birds under her feathers when it rains to protect them from the rain.
Her feathers are covered in a waxy layer that keeps the wings from soaking up the rain.
If you find a baby bird, and it seems to be drowning while in the nest, then it is recommended that you take the bird to a rehabilitator
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Does My Bird Open His Mouth When I Pet Him?, Chick Hatched With Open Navel, Why Is My Canary Whimpering?, Pipped Egg Rolled Over, What Do Birds Sharpen Their Beaks With?, Canary Sleeping With Its Head Down, Why Do Birds Adjust Their Crop?, Bird Opening Mouth And Stretching Neck, Why Does My Lovebird Rub His Beak On The Cage,
