when born, the chicks are covered in tan down and can run within 2 hours of hatching. they are considered semi-precocial young as they can leave the nest soon after hatching but still rely on their parents for food. chicks will fledge at about 35 days old after fledging, chicks still rely on their parents for food as it takes up to 60 days for the beak to become strong enough to pry open mollusks. during this time, care of the chicks is evenly divided by the parents.