GROWING UP WITH VALKYRIE: We like to say that “leaving the nest” means someone is ready to head into the adult world and take flight. But for birds, leaving the nest is only the beginning! When a baby bird has fully replaced all of its down feathers, it becomes what is known as a juvenile. Unlike an adult's plumage, the plumage of a juvenile is dull and speckled to help it camouflage and mark it as immature. Juveniles practice flying and stick close to their parents to learn how to forage or hunt for food. You could say they’re like bird teenagers! Here was Valkyrie the Swainson’s Hawk back in her juvenile years when she first became an Animal Ambassador at Lindsay. Now she has full adult plumage that lets other hawks know that she is fully mature!
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