This is copied from the eBird FAQs:

If I see baby grouse, baby geese, or baby shorebirds that cannot yet fly, what code should I use?

Use "FL". They are fledged in the sense that they have left the nest, which is typical for the young of “precocial” species. "FL" should be used until young birds become independent of their parents, since it is safe to assume that they are near the nesting site until that point.

peggy_busby at yahoo.com

at scenebypeggy on Instagram

On Monday, June 17, 2024 at 02:08:47 p.m. PDT, Dan McDougall-Treacy via Tweeters wrote:

Karen, I think of fledging as ready for departing the nest and independent movement (applied to shorebirds, waterfowl, alcids?) . I'd go with the FL code.

Dan MT, the improved hombre

On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 12:17 PM Karen Wosilait via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

I was at Soap Lake yesterday hoping to see the Willet that has been there. Instead I saw an American Avocet with 3 young, still fuzzy with shorter stubbier bills (relative to an adult).



I thought I’d add a breeding code to my eBird checklist. “Recently fledged” didn’t seem right since they couldn’t fly. Would “recently hatched” be the right term for a fluffy shorebird that can’t yet fly?

Karen Wosilait (she/her)

Seattle, WA

karen.w.mobile at gmail.com

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