FEB 23, 2020

When a Young Chick Fails to Fly, it Must Fight for its Life

WRITTEN BY: Anthony Bouchard

Young Guillemot chicks are eventually pushed from the safety of their rocky ledges when their parental units believe they’re big enough to fly for themselves. In this case, however, the young chick may not have been as ready as the parent thought.

After a long stride through the air, the young chick falls short of her watery target. Upon landing on the ground, far away from the ocean, nearby hungry foxes recognize the opportunity to spring in for a feast. One of the smaller foxes goes in for the kill, but it underestimates the small chick’s spirit as it begins fighting back.

The fox is but a novice hunter, and so the chick is able to hold its own rather well. Using its beak as a weapon against the fox, it pecks and bites, and the young fox is unable to get a grip on the bird. Meanwhile, the chick makes a run for it, eventually arriving at the boulder field just before the ocean.

The fox follows the chick into the boulder field but doesn’t seem to have any better luck there. The chick uses the surrounding boulders for cover while continuing to fight back and manages to make it all the way out to sea. In the water, the chick’s parent awaits – the two reunite and continue their journey onward, safe and sound.