Like all songbird nestlings, this chick was mostly beak, with a big, fleshy orange gape designed to serve as a target for adult birds: Drop food here. When a chick is stimulated by movement and sound, the gaping response is induced. Wanting to make sure this bird possessed some tiny semblance of health, I tickled the bill and chirped like a starling; the little bundle threw back its head, and the bill popped open 180 degrees.
