How do I tell the difference between an altricial nestling and a fledgling?

Characteristics of Nestlings:

• The baby has no feathers or mostly pin feathers and down, has large naked areas on body

• The baby has no tail or only pin feathers emerging on its hind end

• The baby can move its head and/or body but is not able to hop around independently (without dragging its body or using its wings to push itself)

Characteristics of Fledglings:

• The baby’s body is fully covered in actual feathers (may still have naked spots under wings or on the belly)

• The baby is able to hop around independently as an adult bird does (without dragging its body or using its wings to push itself)

• The baby is not fully flighted (new fledglings may only be able to flutter their wings and jump without really getting any height off the ground)

• The baby has short stubby tail feathers (less than half the length of an adult of the same species). This characteristic is very important in distinguishing fledglings from small injured adults, who would have normal length tails (or, if the tail had been ripped out, no tail at all.)

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