By Natalie Sopinka
Ever get stumped trying to describe that smell after a misty, spring rain when the grass is dewy and lush? Well that smell has an official term, petrichor. Produced by interactions between plant oils, bacteria, and an organic compound called geosmin, petrichor is the earthy aroma after rain.
This spring, as the flowers bloom and the temperatures climb, the number of baby bird images being shared with OFNC’s Facebook group is also increasing exponentially. Time to test your baby bird vocabulary!
Goslings, or baby geese, are being spotted all around Ottawa this Spring.
Canada Goose Branta canadensis, Photo: Shelley Dinn Morphy, Macoun Marsh
No surprise here, these baby ducks following momma are ducklings.
Wood duck Aix sponsa, Photo: Joe Wilson, Kanata
Ottawa’s very own baby peregrine falcons, or eyases.
Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Photo: Anouk Hoedeman, downtown Ottawa
This cygnet/flapper will grow to be a majestic swan one day.
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), Photo: Graham Checkley, PBase
And a partridge in a pear tree, or in this case cheepers on a shoe!
Chinese Bamboo Partridge (Bambusicola thoracicus), Photo: Ishikawa Ken, Flickr
A baby puffin can be referred to as a puffling, cute name for a cute chick!
Atlantic puffin, (Fratercula arctica), Photo: Emily Pipher, The Internet Bird Collection (IBC)
Might this young chicken pair be a pullet (female) and cockrell (male)?
Domestic chicken Gallus gallus domesticus, Photo: Laura Alice Watt, Flickr
Nothing to see here, just a mother owl’s ridiculously fluffy owlets.
Barn owl Tyto alba, Photo: Jenelle, Living in the Woods
“It’s not easy waking up this good looking,” said the pigeon squab/squeaker.
Rock dove/pigeon Columba livia, Photo: Amanda Richards, Flickr
