The fate of the eagle chicks depends greatly on the actions and behavior of their eagle parents. Eagles are fierce, powerful birds of prey that can be dangerous to their young under certain circumstances. However, eagle parents are also dedicated and attentive to raising their chicks successfully. So what will the eagle parents actually do to their chicks in the nest?
Will the eagles intentionally harm or kill their own chicks?
In most cases, no. Eagle parents have a strong natural instinct to nurture and protect their chicks. They invest an enormous amount of time and energy into rearing their young, so they are unlikely to intentionally kill or maim them without good reason.
However, there are some specific circumstances that can lead eagle parents to harm their own chicks:
- If a chick is weak, sickly or deformed at hatching, the parents may selectively let it die by not feeding it. This harsh but practical strategy allocates more resources to the healthier chicks.
- If food is scarce, eagle parents may push the weakest chick(s) out of the nest to reduce brood size and increase the survival odds of the remaining chicks.
- As chicks grow, sibling rivalry over food can occur. Chicks may peck, claw or even kill each other. The parents typically don’t intervene.
- Very occasionally, severe stress may cause the parents to lash out and injure chicks. For example, eagles are sensitive to human disturbance near the nest, which can agitate them.
So while intentional chick killing or harming is possible, it’s relatively rare under normal circumstances. For the most part, eagle parents are dedicated to raising their chicks safely.
How do eagles feed and provision for their chicks?
Feeding their chicks is one of the most important duties of eagle parents. Baby eagles have prodigious appetites and grow very rapidly, so the parents must provide lots of food.
Eagles are carnivores, feeding mostly on fish, small mammals and other birds. The parents will capture live prey and bring it back to the nest for the chicks. Chicks are fed by tearing off bite-sized chunks of meat held in the parent’s beak. Parents may feed chicks 6-10 times per day, providing around 1/2 to 1 pound of food at each feeding.
If food is scarce, the parents may go without eating themselves to prioritize feeding the chicks. However, if prey remains chronically scarce, eagle parents face the harsh decision of either letting the chicks starve, or thinning the brood as described above.
In years or territories with plentiful food, eagle chicks grow rapidly on their protein-rich diet, gaining up to 1 pound per day, and increasing their weight nearly ten-fold by the time they fledge at 10-12 weeks old.
Typical eagle chick diet
- Fish such as salmon, catfish and suckers
- Birds including ducks, grouse, herons and gulls
- Small mammals like rabbits, marmots and squirrels
- Carrion from large carcasses
How do eagle parents keep the chicks warm and protected?
Eagles nest in exposed places like cliffs and tall trees, so keeping the chicks warm and protected from the elements is an important parental duty. Eagles only lay eggs in the spring/early summer to coincide with warmer temperatures for chick rearing.
Parent eagles use several strategies to shelter the chicks:
- They build large stick nests lined with grass, moss and feathers to insulate chicks.
- Adults brood the chicks, sitting on and covering them with their wings and body.
- Chicks huddle together for warmth and shelter under the parents.
- Parents shade chicks from sun and shelter them from wind/rain with their wings.
- The nest location provides additional protection from weather.
If despite their efforts the chicks become chilled, hypothermia can set in. The parents may abandon or harm severely hypothermic chicks with poor chances of survival.
Average temperatures for eagle chick rearing:
Month | Temperature Range |
---|---|
May | 50-70°F (10-21°C) |
June | 60-80°F (16-27°C) |
July | 70-90°F (21-32°C) |
Do eagle parents teach their young how to fly and hunt?
Yes, eagle parents play an essential role in teaching their chicks the skills they need to survive on their own. This intensive training period is one reason eagles invest so much time and effort raising just one brood per year.
Starting at around 10-12 weeks old, eagle chicks begin exercising and strengthening their wings in preparation for fledging (a bird’s first flight from the nest). At this age, chicks start “helicoptering” – hovering and flapping while still in the nest.
Under close supervision by the parents, fledglings then take their first real flights. Early flights are usually clumsy, just involving hopping/gliding between branches. But the chicks rapidly gain strength and skill under the watchful eyes of the parents.
Hunting training also begins around the fledging period. Parents drop live prey into the nest for chicks to practice killing. Later, parents demonstrate hunting by capturing prey and eating it in front of the fledglings. Chicks learn by observation and through gradually taking on more active hunting roles.
This intensive training lasts for several weeks post-fledging. The young eagles are dependent on the parents the entire time for food and protection while they hone their abilities. By 16-20 weeks from hatching, the juveniles are finally independent and can fend for themselves.
Typical eagle chick development timeline:
Age | Milestones |
---|---|
6-10 weeks | Rapid growth in nest, exercising wings |
10-12 weeks | Fledge from nest |
12-16 weeks | Improve flight skills, practice hunting |
16-20 weeks | Independent juvenile |
Conclusion
In summary, eagle parents generally devote themselves fully to successfully raising their chicks. They will provide food, protection, warmth and essential life skills to ready the chicks for independence. Intentional harm or killing of chicks only occurs under severe environmental stresses or if the parents judge a chick is too sick/weak to survive. Apart from these exceptions, the powerful eagle parents use their abilities to diligently care for their offspring and teach them to thrive.