A baby bird's wish list: Mild weather, attentive parents, not being the smallest sibling

A baby bird's wish list: Mild weather, attentive parents, not being the smallest sibling

Experiences in the first days and weeks of life can have a profound impact on humans—and birds. A new study led by Sage Madden, a graduate student in evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis, shows how weather conditions and family dynamics affect the growth of barn swallow (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster) chicks.