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Development of Young and Life Span | |
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| Description
Range, Migratory Patterns, and Habitat Development of Young and Life Span
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New hatchlings have closed eyes and are covered with grayish down. The eyes begin to open on the seventh day and are fully open on the ninth or tenth day. At two weeks, they have grown to 1/3 the size of an adult. Figure 4 is an owlet at approximately three weeks. During the fourth week, the young are at full fledge. The feathers are fairly well developed and the ear tufts begin to develop. Explorations of the area surrounding the nest begin. In the sixth week test flights are made-usually to ground right below nest. The young can climb back up to the nest using their feet to climb and their beak to grab objects and pull themselves up or they can stay on the ground where they will be fed by the parents. If they remain on the ground, they will begin hunting. Their first few captures will consist of larvae and slow moving insects. In the ninth week, their plumage has fully developed, they are at full growth and they are making short flights. By their twelfth week, they are flying and hunting well and subsequently are receiving little food from the parents. The family will stay together in the nesting territory throughout summer. At twenty weeks the winter plumage starts coming in. In the twenty-sixth week, the young have full winter plumage and are accomplished hunters and fliers. At this time, they leave the nesting territory or are driven away by the parents. The young will usually settle within 30 miles of their hatching site(Eckert 1974). Infant mortality in the first year is approximately 50% (Canadian Wildlife Service 2000). Sexual maturity is believed to be 2 years old (Eckert 1974). The oldest known life span in the wild is 13 years, and 29 years in captivity (Terres 1966). |  |