Question

Feathered young ones of birds are called as
A. Precocial
B. Altricial
C. Nidiculous
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Birds belong to the class Aves, in the kingdom animalia. Characteristic features of these organisms are the presence of feathers that help them to fly. Some birds are not able to fly even though they have feathers. These birds are called flightless birds.

Complete answer: Some organisms can take care of themselves just after their birth. These organisms are called precocial organisms. They leave their parents soon after birth and lead an independent life. This feature can be clearly seen in the case of birds. Precocial birds have small feathers soon after their birth. These are replaced by adult types of feathers after a certain period. Young ones of these species are able to find their own food without depending on their parents. Altricial species are organisms that are totally dependent on their parents soon after birth, to a fixed period of time. After birth, young ones are not able to find their own food as in precocial organisms. They live under maternal or paternal care for a certain period and gradually become independent. Rabbits are examples of altricial organisms. Certain organisms stay in their nest for a long period after birth. They totally depend upon their parents for food. These organisms are called ridiculous species. Keep in mind that altricial and ridiculous are overlapping terms but they are not equal. Altricial organisms are more independent than nidiculous organisms.
Hence, the correct option is A.

Note: Chicks, geese, turkeys, etc are examples of precocial birds. These are born with small feathers and later they are replaced by adult-type feathers. Precocial organisms are mainly seen in higher animals like mammals and birds.