AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Young birds leave the nest before they can fly. Birds are not taught to fly, rather they are simply pushed out of the nest and expected to work it out on their own, letting instinct take over.

Detailed explanation-2: -Similar to humans, birds are born with this same instinct, mainly for the action of flight. Now no bird is born with the ability to fly because it takes practice. Rather birds are trained by their parents through the power of reinforcement. Let’s compare the flight of a bird to how a baby is trained to walk.

Detailed explanation-3: -But much like humans aren’t born knowing how to walk, birds don’t know how to fly when they hatch. Learning to fly is a process, and it often involves a little trial and error for the young birds because it relies not only on instinct but also some practice.

Detailed explanation-4: -A nestling is a baby bird that is pink with very little or no feathers. It still needs to be in the nest. A fledgling is a baby bird that has some feathers and can hop around. Its parents have pushed it out of the nest on purpose to help it learn how to fly.

Detailed explanation-5: -No bird is born capable of flight, but the instinct to become airborne is strong from birth. Hatchlings soon begin to flap their wings. Once flight feathers have developed, birds fledge, with much maternal encouragement. Flight isn’t instant, but gradually mastered through observation and practice.