Spoon-billed Sandpiper: Hatch

Spoon-billed Sandpipers lay 4 eggs in a simple tundra nest comprised of a shallow depression, most often in mosses, lined with a few dwarf willow leaves. The nest is incubated by both adults on half-day shifts -- the male most often during the day and the female at night. After 21 days of incubation the eggs begin to hatch in a process that takes a day or more to complete. When the young finally emerge from the nest they stumble about on well-developed legs and feet and begin to feed themselves. After the last chick emerges, the male begins his job of leading the chicks as they grow towards independence about 20 days later; the female soon departs and begins moving south. This piece captures the first moments of life at a wind swept Spoon-billed Sandpiper nest.

Video includes commentary by The Cornell Lab's Gerrit Vyn.

Filmed July 7, 2011 near Meinypilgyno, Chukotka, Russia.

• Category

  Pets & Animals

[Photosensualis]

A wonderful video! Beautifully filmed, nicely narrated. Really fascinating -- extraordinary!

[Michelle Schneider]

I LOVE this!! So incredibly precious.

[rebeccaelder2009]

Beautiful video! Great narration. Very informative and relaxing to watch and listen to.

[stonechater]

Amazing. Let's hope this bird will do better in the future.

[liv4evernw]

Ml lz

[Anthony Sultana]

This video make me imagine heaven is on earth. If we respect nature definitely the world is heaven.People created hell.

[Ezio Giuliano]

fantastic video

[Eva María Sigurðardóttir]

Ow they are so cute and fluffy :)

[Claes Theilgaard]

I didn't know about the Spoon-Billed Sandpiber before this video. I see that it is very important to protect this beatiful and extraordinary species, so other generations can enjoy it too.

[VegetarianDancer]

How interesting! I didn't know about the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper! It's call is wonderful and seeing those little chicks! Not gonna lie I squealed quite a bit sooo cute!

[twgirl1]

太美了 我喜歡你的攝影 謝謝分享

[Kerena Velez]

Thanks for spending all that time filming, I'm very glad that I got to see these little guys before they become extinct, which HOPEFULLY they will not.