― John Muir
My son came home and told me they've been watching a Bald Eagle's nest in class and that a baby eaglets just hatched. To see these huge birds up close is amazing! Just look at their legs, how powerful and huge and they look! This pair has been together since the winter of 2007-2008 and are using their first nest.
Some interesting facts:
- A bald eagle is about 3 feet in length!
- Wingspan-7 feet!!!
- The nests can weight up to a ton & usually measure 2 feet deep & 5 feet across, but some have been measured up to 8 feet across!
- Once paired, bald eagles remain with each other until one mate dies, then the surviving bird will find another mate.
- Eggs incubated for 35 days
- Clutch size: 1-3 eggs
Check out how huge the nest is. Look at the sticks used to build the nest! They build their nests in to the tops of huge trees, near bodies of water. And their nests are called eyries.
Bald Eagles are recognized by their white head, brown body, and hooked yellow beak. The bald eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782. They can reach speeds up to 100 mph when diving and they use their hooked beaks to pull flesh off before eating it. (They tear little pieces off when they feed the baby). They can sour for hours using thermal convention currents and can fly about 40 mph. Usually they glide, they don't flap very much.
It is not likely that all three babies will survive. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. While one is incubating, the other searches for food or more nesting materials. When baby eaglets hatch their bodies are covered with light gray feathers. Around 3 weeks they will start to get brown feathers. When they are 4-5 they will get their brown and white color pattern.
If you are interested, check out the attached website. One of the three eggs has hatched and you can watch the parents take care of it. It's amazing how they re-do the nest when they switch sitting on the clutch and when it is windy look at how much the tree moves. This is truly amazing!
It is not likely that all three babies will survive. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. While one is incubating, the other searches for food or more nesting materials. When baby eaglets hatch their bodies are covered with light gray feathers. Around 3 weeks they will start to get brown feathers. When they are 4-5 they will get their brown and white color pattern.
If you are interested, check out the attached website. One of the three eggs has hatched and you can watch the parents take care of it. It's amazing how they re-do the nest when they switch sitting on the clutch and when it is windy look at how much the tree moves. This is truly amazing!
No comments:
Post a Comment