Question:
What do baby killdeer eat? Do they peck on their
own, or does the parents stick food down their throat?
Replies:
Killdeer eat mostly insects. Killdeer young are called "precocial" by
scientists, which means that they hatch out ready to eat on their own, their
parents do not feed them. Ducks and geese are some other precocial young.
"Altrical" young are fed by their parents in the nest for a while before
they can feed themselves. Robins and other song birds are good examples.
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