'I got CHILLS, they're multiplying'

Summer is typically the breeding season for birds, but why do some of our raptors choose to lay their eggs in winter?

- WARWICK TARBOTON

When birds breed is closely linked to food supply and to timing the breeding attempt so that when the young hatch there’s enough food to raise a brood of chicks to independence. For most species, for example insectivores like thrushes and robin-chats, insects are most plentiful in summer so it is in summer that these birds breed. In their case, the breeding cycle generally takes a month from egg-laying to the young fledging, and timing egg-laying to ensure that there is food on the table when the chicks are growing and later, when they fledge, is the key to their success. And if the timing is right, newly fledged and inexperienced young birds also have the best chance of finding food for themselves and gaining independence.