I have only been breeding budgies a short while so I don't know if this is common behaviour amongst chicks but when I come home from work each day, the first thing I do is check on our three new chicks (Snap, Crackle and Pop) who are 15,17 and 19 days. When I opened the door to the nest I saw one of the older siblings feeding the youngest one....it was soooooooooooo adorable. Do chicks often participate in the care of the younger ones like this?

Yes, this is very common. They also preen each other and bicker too, just like kids do :rofl:

That is a lovely characteristic. You read of other species where the later born chicks are only spares for in case the first one hatched does not survive. Only one chick is actually raised because it pushes the others out of the nest. Then, of course, there are others where older fledglings take part in the defence and raising of the young. I do not know of other birds whose nestlings actually feed their siblings. Do you?

It's a wonderful thing to watch, and a great survival tactic too. After everybody fledged I separated mom, and dad was with the babies. Then dad went back with mom, and the babies started to take care of each other. Oldest fed the youngest (both hens) but there was random feeding between them all. The two hens are still great pals and sometimes I'll open the cover in the morning to find them holding each other up on a perch.

There is that bond formed between some.

 

I had a nestbox with two grey opaline cocks in it. Now they have matured and are in the aviary. They go everywhere together. I have never seen two birds, brothers or sisters, that are closer. It is very cute.