Red-Breasted Grosbeak feeding Baby Bird

Today's photos are a male rose-breasted grosbeak feeding a baby. The fledgling appeared in my backyard a few days ago and spends his time calling for food. I haven't seen the mother bird, but this male feeds him off and on throughout the day. The fledgling looks a lot like female finches, but he is plumper and heavier than the finches.

You can typically identify baby birds that have recently fledged the nest by their insistent calling for food, the way they flutter their wings in anticipation of feeding and their short tail feathers. They usually appear fat and fluffy, while adult birds tend to be slimmer. Within a few days to a week the baby birds blend in with the adults and cease their "childish" behavior.