Bald Eagle nest: Essex County

June 15, 2017 in Bald Eagle

As the Bald Eagle chicks grown in size the nest starts to become very crowded!  The 3 chicks are now very close to fledge time. The female remains near the nest and on watch most of the time.

Eaglets are nestlings for 10 to 12 weeks. By the time they are 9 weeks old, they are fully grown.

Some scientists did a study keeping track of all the time that the parent eagles spent at the nest. Once the babies hatched, the female was present at the nest about 90% of the time. The male was present about 50% of the time. During the study, at least one of the parents was at the nest almost all the time.

The young nestlings are directly fed raw meat starting day one. Eagles do not regurgitate food to feed their young like some other animals do.During the first two weeks, the male provides most of the food. After 3 or 4 weeks, the female provides as much food as the male, and by the late nesting period, the female provides most of the food.

Bald Eagle nest: Essex County

June 12, 2017 in Bald Eagle

_W7I9444-001The 3 Bald Eagle chicks continue to grow in size and shape. Adults will feed their chicks directly until the eaglets are five to six weeks old, when the young are able to tear pieces of food off and feed themselves.

By age 5 weeks, male and female parents bring relatively equal amounts of food. Parents begin spending more time away from the young and often perch in nearby trees. By six weeks the young are able to stand and walk, and by seven weeks maximum body growth nearing completion.

At eight weeks, they are at their hungriest and are ready to fly by week twelve. By the time chicks are 9 weeks old, they are fully grown. Chicks continue on the nest gaining strength for 10 to 12 weeks.

Bald Eagle chicks, NW Essex county

May 31, 2014 in Bald Eagle

The nest in NW Essex County has two healthy eagle chicks this year.  They are getting larger and are starting the wing flapping process as they move around the nest and move more frequently onto the ridge of the nest providing better views!

As nestlings, eagles progress through three different sets of feathers including natal down, thermal down, and juvenile feathers.  Chicks are hatched with a coat of natal down.  This down is very light in color and does not have much insulating ability such that chicks must be brooded by an adult for warmth.  Natal down is replaced by thermal down beginning around 10 days of age.  Thermal down has very good insulating qualities and by 15 days chicks are typically able to thermoregulate on their own.  The emergence of juvenile feathers including contour and flight feathers typically begins on or before 27 days.  These dark feathers are arranged in tracts and emerge in sequence beginning with the capital (head) and dorsal (back) tracts.  The ventral (belly) tract is the last feather group to emerge.  Flight feathers including the wing and tail continue to grow throughout the development period reaching their maximum lengths around the time of fledging.  The last phase of development as nestlings is neurological or the learning of coordinated movements.  This includes walking, feeding, and flying.  The final month of development is consumed by acquiring the coordination needed for movement and flight.