[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":194},["ShallowReactive",2],{"glossary_en:\u002Fslovar\u002Fpuhovoi-ptenec":3,"alt-locale:glossary_en:\u002Fslovar\u002Fpuhovoi-ptenec":94,"section-listing:glossary_en:\u002Fslovar":95,"section-listing:disabled":189,"related-covers:en:\u002Fslovar\u002Fvyvodkovye-i-ptencovye-ptitsy|\u002Fslovar\u002Fkladka-yaic|\u002Fslovar\u002Flinka-u-ptic":190},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"coverImage":57,"description":58,"extension":59,"faq":60,"imagePrompt":67,"meta":68,"navigation":69,"order":70,"pageType":71,"path":72,"publishedAt":73,"readingMinutes":74,"relatedLinks":75,"seo":88,"sitemap":91,"stem":92,"tags":70,"updatedAt":70,"__hash__":93},"glossary_en\u002Fslovar\u002Fpuhovoi-ptenec.md","Downy Chick",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":51},"minimark",[9,14,22,41,45,48],[10,11,13],"h2",{"id":12},"what-down-is","What down is",[15,16,17,21],"p",{},[18,19,20],"strong",{},"Down"," is the soft, fluffy first covering many bird chicks hatch with, made of simple filaments that lack the stiff central shaft and interlocking barbs of a true feather. This structure makes down excellent for trapping air and providing insulation but useless for flight or shedding rain the way true feathers do — a downy chick is warm but neither waterproof nor capable of flight, and stays either nest-bound or close to a parent until true feathers grow in during the following weeks.",[15,23,24,25,30,31,35,36,40],{},"How much down a chick has, and how it looks, depends heavily on whether the species is ",[26,27,29],"a",{"href":28},"\u002Fen\u002Fslovar\u002Fvyvodkovye-i-ptencovye-ptitsy","precocial or altricial",". A ",[26,32,34],{"href":33},"\u002Fen\u002Fvidy-ptic\u002Fvidy\u002Fsery-gus","greylag goose"," gosling hatches with a dense, even coat of down covering its entire body, eyes open, ready to leave the nest and follow its parents within hours. A nestling ",[26,37,39],{"href":38},"\u002Fen\u002Fvidy-ptic\u002Fvidy\u002Fobyknovenny-skvorets","common starling",", by contrast, hatches with only sparse tufts of down over mostly bare skin, eyes closed, and depends entirely on the nest's shelter and a parent's body heat for warmth in its first days.",[10,42,44],{"id":43},"from-down-to-true-feathers","From down to true feathers",[15,46,47],{},"As a chick grows, true feathers emerge from the same follicles that produced the natal down, typically pushing the down out to the tips of the new feathers before it is finally shed or worn away — this is why growing chicks of many species look temporarily scruffy, with tufts of old down still clinging to the ends of new, structured feathers. Once the first full set of true feathers (the juvenile plumage) is complete, the chick gains the ability to fly, thermoregulate more effectively, and — in precocial species already capable of movement — better weatherproofing against rain.",[15,49,50],{},"The speed of this transition varies enormously: fast-developing precocial species can reach flight capability within weeks, while some altricial species with long nestling periods take considerably longer to trade down for a complete, flight-ready set of feathers.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":54},"",2,[55,56],{"id":12,"depth":53,"text":13},{"id":43,"depth":53,"text":44},"\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fpuhovoi-ptenec.png","A downy chick is a hatchling covered in soft, fluffy natal down rather than true feathers — its exact appearance and mobility depend on whether the species is precocial or altricial.","md",[61,64],{"q":62,"a":63},"Is down the same thing as feathers?","No. Natal down consists of simple, soft filaments lacking the interlocking barb structure of true feathers, which provide the rigidity needed for flight and weatherproofing. Down alone provides insulation but no flight capability or full weather protection, which is why downy chicks of tree- and cavity-nesting species stay in the nest until true feathers grow in.",{"q":65,"a":66},"Why do downy ducklings look so different from downy songbird chicks?","The difference reflects precocial versus altricial development rather than down itself: a duckling hatches with a dense, even covering of down over its whole body and open eyes, ready to walk and swim immediately, while a nestling songbird hatches with only sparse tufts of down over bare, often pink or grey skin, eyes closed, entirely dependent on the nest and parental feeding.","Photorealistic macro photo, a close-up of three fluffy yellow-brown Anser anser greylag goose goslings huddled together in short grass, individual soft down filaments catching backlight around their edges, one gosling with beak slightly open, soft-focus green meadow background, gentle warm morning light from behind creating a glowing rim-light effect, shallow depth of field, 16:9",{},true,null,"glossary","\u002Fslovar\u002Fpuhovoi-ptenec","14.07.2026",1,[76,80,84],{"label":77,"path":78,"description":79},"Precocial and altricial birds","\u002Fslovar\u002Fvyvodkovye-i-ptencovye-ptitsy","How chick development differs between species",{"label":81,"path":82,"description":83},"Egg clutch","\u002Fslovar\u002Fkladka-yaic","The set of eggs a chick hatches from",{"label":85,"path":86,"description":87},"Molt in birds","\u002Fslovar\u002Flinka-u-ptic","How feathers are replaced as a bird grows and ages",{"title":89,"description":90},"Downy Chick — natal down explained","What a downy chick is, how natal down differs from true feathers, and why precocial and altricial hatchlings look so different.",{"loc":72},"slovar\u002Fpuhovoi-ptenec","84zcSy0pcRX_uLPhUCSdfpKPayzIZXoldOwm1PlkLDE",{"ru":69,"es":69},[96,101,106,111,116,121,126,127,131,136,141,146,151,155,160,165,170,175,179,184],{"title":97,"description":98,"path":99,"coverImage":100,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Bird Feeder","A bird feeder provides supplementary food, most valuably in winter, and lets birdwatchers observe species up close — but it needs regular cleaning to avoid spreading disease.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fkormushka-dlya-ptic","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fkormushka-dlya-ptic.png",{"title":102,"description":103,"path":104,"coverImage":105,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Bird Migration","Bird migration is the regular, seasonal movement of birds between breeding and non-breeding ranges — driven by food availability and daylight, not simply cold weather.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fmigraciya-ptic","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fmigraciya-ptic.png",{"title":107,"description":108,"path":109,"coverImage":110,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Bird Ringing","Bird ringing (banding) attaches a small, uniquely numbered metal or plastic ring to a bird's leg, allowing individuals to be tracked across recaptures and sightings.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fkolcevanie-ptic","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fkolcevanie-ptic.png",{"title":112,"description":113,"path":114,"coverImage":115,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Bird of Prey (Raptor)","A bird of prey, or raptor, hunts live vertebrate prey using strong grasping feet and a hooked bill — a functional grouping spanning several unrelated families, including falcons, hawks, and owls.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fpernatyi-hishchnik","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fpernatyi-hishchnik.png",{"title":117,"description":118,"path":119,"coverImage":120,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Birdwatching","Birdwatching is the recreational observation and identification of wild birds, ranging from casual garden watching to structured trips to specific sites and seasons.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fbirdwatching","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fbirdwatching.png",{"title":122,"description":123,"path":124,"coverImage":125,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Conservation Status of Birds (LC\u002FNT\u002FVU\u002FEN\u002FCR)","Conservation status is a standardized IUCN category — from Least Concern to Extinct — measuring how close a species is to disappearing across its entire range.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fohrannyi-status-ptic","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fohrannyi-status-ptic.png",{"title":5,"description":58,"path":72,"coverImage":57,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},{"title":128,"description":129,"path":82,"coverImage":130,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Egg Clutch","A clutch is the full set of eggs a female bird lays in a single nesting attempt — its size varies by species from a single egg to over a dozen.","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fkladka-yaic.png",{"title":132,"description":133,"path":134,"coverImage":135,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Egg Incubation","Incubation is the process of keeping eggs at a stable, warm temperature until they hatch, usually by direct body contact through a bare, blood-vessel-rich brood patch.","\u002Fslovar\u002Finkubaciya-yaic","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Finkubaciya-yaic.png",{"title":137,"description":138,"path":139,"coverImage":140,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Endemic Species","An endemic species occurs naturally in one specific geographic area and nowhere else in the world, making it a priority for conservation attention.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fendemik","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fendemik.png",{"title":142,"description":143,"path":144,"coverImage":145,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Migration Flyway","A migration flyway is the broad geographic corridor a population of migratory birds consistently follows between breeding and wintering ranges, often shaped by coastlines and mountains.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fmigracionnyi-put","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fmigracionnyi-put.png",{"title":147,"description":148,"path":149,"coverImage":150,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Migratory Birds","Migratory birds leave their breeding range for a separate wintering range on a predictable seasonal schedule, returning to breed in the same area each spring.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fpereletnye-ptitsy","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fpereletnye-ptitsy.png",{"title":152,"description":153,"path":86,"coverImage":154,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Molt in Birds","Molt is the periodic shedding and replacement of feathers, essential for flight efficiency, insulation, and — in many species — seasonal changes in plumage color.","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Flinka-u-ptic.png",{"title":156,"description":157,"path":158,"coverImage":159,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Nest Box","A nest box is an artificial cavity built to attract hole-nesting birds where natural tree cavities are scarce, from starling boxes to smaller tit and sparrow boxes.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fskvorechnik","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fskvorechnik.png",{"title":161,"description":162,"path":163,"coverImage":164,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Nesting","Nesting is the full process of building or selecting a nest site, laying and incubating eggs, and raising chicks to independence — behavior that varies enormously between bird families.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fgnezdovanie","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fgnezdovanie.png",{"title":166,"description":167,"path":168,"coverImage":169,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Nomadic Birds","Nomadic (irruptive) birds move irregularly and unpredictably between areas in response to fluctuating food supply, rather than following a fixed seasonal migration.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fkochuyushchie-ptitsy","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fkochuyushchie-ptitsy.png",{"title":171,"description":172,"path":173,"coverImage":174,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Passage Migrants","A passage migrant is a bird seen in a region only briefly, while traveling between a breeding range and a wintering range that both lie elsewhere.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fproletnye-ptitsy","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fproletnye-ptitsy.png",{"title":176,"description":177,"path":78,"coverImage":178,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Precocial and Altricial Birds","Precocial chicks hatch mobile, feathered, and able to feed themselves within hours; altricial chicks hatch blind, naked, and entirely dependent on their parents.","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fvyvodkovye-i-ptencovye-ptitsy.png",{"title":180,"description":181,"path":182,"coverImage":183,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Range (Habitat Range)","A species' range is the total geographic area where it occurs, distinct from habitat, which describes the type of environment it uses within that area.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fareal-obitaniya","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fareal-obitaniya.png",{"title":185,"description":186,"path":187,"coverImage":188,"publishedAt":73,"order":70},"Resident Birds","Resident birds stay within the same general area year-round, neither migrating to a separate wintering range nor undertaking large nomadic movements.","\u002Fslovar\u002Fosedlye-ptitsy","\u002Fimages\u002Fslovar\u002Fosedlye-ptitsy.png",[],[191,192,193],{"label":77,"path":78,"description":79,"coverImage":178},{"label":81,"path":82,"description":83,"coverImage":130},{"label":85,"path":86,"description":87,"coverImage":154},1787114564432]