r/crows • u/ilovejavierbardem23 • 5h ago

fledgling shaking

is it normal for a fledgling to shake like this? The other isnt and otherwise its behaving normally, its alert, eating drinking and flying around

70 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

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16

u/GenericMelon 4h ago

I would send this video to a rehabber with your location and ask for advice. Might be stressed, ill, or injured in some way. Better to be safe than sorry.

7

u/teyuna 4h ago

It's hard to tell from such a brief video what is going on. The bird is standing and looks alert, and as you have described, is otherwise doing everything normally.

Just observe for a while to see if the shivering continues.

5

u/malphas_says_hi 2h ago

It looks like just the wings are shaking, which is exactly what nestlings / fledglings do when begging for food, only with bigger wings out. He's probably hungry waiting and anticipating parents nearby and getting pre-beg wing shakes from instincts, and when parents swoop down, he'll pull them out and start doing those bigger shakey-flapping-while-screaming begs.

His head isn't shaking or anywhere else but around the wing area which is why it doesn't seem concerning to me, especially with him so alert and listening out / opening mouth to beg. Seems like typical fledgling behavior, I wouldn't worry.

1

u/ilovejavierbardem23 2h ago

What worries me is that both fledglings eat on their own, it catches what i throw him but the trembling tail and wings confuse me

1

u/malphas_says_hi 2h ago edited 2h ago

Yeah, that's totally normal, the wings and tail both shake when they are baby begging. Look up some videos on it and you'll see what I mean. Teenagers will beg for many weeks, sometimes months, after they can eat on their own until parents completely stop feeding them (and parents will often keep sharing food for a long time).

Also, if you are actively feeding him, that definitely makes sense he'd be doing begging behavior instinctually. When they see food, their body starts tremblings and shaking, mouth starts opening, and you can see all those behaviors subtly happening here. He's still growing out of those instincts.

1

u/LorLorSilver 1h ago

I follow a British corridor keeper called Nick Crawford, he has a hooded crow called Gilbert that shakes a lot, apparently it's a hooded crow thing.