These teenager mallards are almost adults. They now look just like their mother.

One of the exciting things about summer and birding is the challenge of identifying the fledglings that appear in our garden, on the beach, in fields, along fence wires and posts, in Willapa Bay or at feeders.

If they are seen when parents are feeding them which usually occurs for at least a few weeks after nestlings fledge it is easier to identify them but seeing them alone may not always be so easy.

Many juvenile ducks as they age, seem to all look the same at first glance, i.e., plain, and brown, but some species have specific characteristics like a specialized bill. A good example is the northern shoveler that has a broad spatula like bill which is easily recognized in young ducklings. Ducklings don’t usually look like their parents at first, but as they grow and mature, they will look more and more like their parents as they approach adulthood.

However, some such as the killdeer look the spitting image of their parents only smaller. Because some fledglings look nothing like their parents, it pays to watch for the bird that comes to feed them.

The shape of fledglings is the same as their parents and so too are their habits or behavior. Young American robins, for example, tilt their heads to one side when looking for worms. They run and stop. They may also hop or fly close to the ground when searching for tasty morsels.

House sparrow fledglings tend to have soft looking, yellow bills. The gape is yellow. This characteristic along with its shape and coloring help to ID a fledging house sparrow.

In general, fledglings usually have downy feathers, stubby tails and a pink or yellow gape which is the edge of the bill in the corner of the mouth. Furthermore, observing the bird it stays closest to and watching for the bird it follows around begging for food will also help with the identification of fledglings.

Happy birding!