I Love a Parade !
Goslings do too :-)
Gosling is a specialized term for a young baby goose, typically still covered with down and unable to fly. Because these chicks are precocial (see below), however, even at a young age they can easily forage on their own and both walk and swim well, though they stay in a family flock under the protective eyes of their parents.
PRECOCIAL
In biology, precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. The opposite developmental strategy is called "altricial" where the young are born or hatched helpless. These categories form a continuum, without distinct gaps between them. Precocial species are normally nidifugous, meaning that they leave the nest shortly after birth or hatching.
The span between precocial and altricial species is particularly broad in birds. Precocial birds hatch with their eyes open and are covered with downy feathers that are soon replaced by adult-type feathers. Birds of this kind can also swim and run much sooner after hatching than altricial young, such as songbirds. Very precocial birds can be ready to leave the nest in a short period of time following hatching (e.g. 24 hours). Many precocial chicks are not independent in thermoregulation (the ability to regulate their own body temperatures), and they depend on the attending parent(s) to brood them with body heat for a short period of time. Precocial birds find their own food, sometimes with help or instruction from the parents. Examples of precocial birds include the domestic chicken, many species of ducks and geese, waders, rails, and the hoatzin.
I Love a Parade !
Goslings do too :-)
Gosling is a specialized term for a young baby goose, typically still covered with down and unable to fly. Because these chicks are precocial (see below), however, even at a young age they can easily forage on their own and both walk and swim well, though they stay in a family flock under the protective eyes of their parents.
PRECOCIAL
In biology, precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. The opposite developmental strategy is called "altricial" where the young are born or hatched helpless. These categories form a continuum, without distinct gaps between them. Precocial species are normally nidifugous, meaning that they leave the nest shortly after birth or hatching.
The span between precocial and altricial species is particularly broad in birds. Precocial birds hatch with their eyes open and are covered with downy feathers that are soon replaced by adult-type feathers. Birds of this kind can also swim and run much sooner after hatching than altricial young, such as songbirds. Very precocial birds can be ready to leave the nest in a short period of time following hatching (e.g. 24 hours). Many precocial chicks are not independent in thermoregulation (the ability to regulate their own body temperatures), and they depend on the attending parent(s) to brood them with body heat for a short period of time. Precocial birds find their own food, sometimes with help or instruction from the parents. Examples of precocial birds include the domestic chicken, many species of ducks and geese, waders, rails, and the hoatzin.