Altricial
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<birdfyi-glossary slug="altricial"></birdfyi-glossary>Definition
Describing chicks that hatch naked, blind, and helpless, requiring extended parental care in the nest.
Detailed Explanation
Altricial chicks are evolutionarily associated with nests that provide security — enclosed cavities, elevated platforms — that compensate for the chicks' immobility and nakedness. The extended nestling period in altricial species (compared to precocial) allows for greater neural development and behavioral learning. Brain size at fledging is typically larger in altricial than precocial species, potentially explaining why the most cognitively complex birds (corvids, parrots, raptors) are all altricial.