Hatch early and eat well: Patterns of juvenile dispersal and recruitment in Mountain Chickadees from a long-term study
Being a fledgling is difficult—and dangerous. The vast majority (~80 percent) of young birds do not survive this stage, succumbing to predation or starvation. What might give a vulnerable fledgling a head start when leaving the nest? Once they leave, how far do they move between their hatch sites and first breeding sites, and why?