http://www.nyu.edu/sustainability/hawks/
Photo and the following intro plus John Blakeman essay courtesy of
http://sunnydixie.blogspot.com/ by way of Robin of Illinois
Franklin Institute Fighting Eyasses
Though the eyasses are still only a few days old, they are already starting to squabble and peck at each other. Here are the two oldest going at each other on Wednesday.
This can look pretty vicious, but John Blakeman gives us some useful perspective on the developmental need for such sibling fights.
"What you see is quite normal. With Red-tails, it’s never of any concern. No harm will come to any of the eyasses, unless the parents fail to bring sufficient food. If that occurs, a larger eyass can kill a smaller one, after profound hunger. That won’t happen here, by any means.
So, just as little kids “fight,” little eyasses do a bit of this. After all, these birds are born killers. All of what you see is normal nerve and muscle development. Just as with little children, the young eyasses have to learn how to use their muscles in coordination. Poking their beak at another sibling, even sometimes stealing a piece of food it is eating, is all normal and even helpful behavior.
Golden Eagle eyasses do this same thing. But universally, it turns out differently. It’s called the Cain and Abel Effect. Inevitably, the larger Golden Eagle eyass will slay the younger one. Golden Eagles most often lay two eggs, and both hatch. But the larger hatched eyass at some time before fledging will reach over and sink some talons into its brother or sister, killing it.
Our Red-tails are much more respectful and civil!
–John Blakeman
ANOTHER LOOK AT THE EDGERTON BALD EAGLES-
IS THERE A HATCH?
As I'm under the weather I hadn't visited the Edgerton Eagles for awhile. The lady of the farm told me that she thought there had been a hatch though she couldn't be sure.
Mom Eagle can always see me far better than I can see here due to her eagle eyes, but that is particularly the case as there is a twig barrier on the west side of the nest where I have to enter the area due to the idiosyncrasies of the crick.
The Glare from beyond the single upright twig from this angle.
Now she's eyeballing me from the other side of the twig.
I moved further east and suddenly like a little puppet popping up--an eaglet! Definitely a hatch. This eaglet could be off her haunches already.
A bit closer if less colorful.
See the little head top through the twigs?
Are there two heads? Or is the eaglet just slumped over?
Mom looks up.
Mom's beak opens. I couldn't hear any sound but that doesn't mean she didn't vocalize, I was likely at least 3/4 of a mile away and the marsh with its frogs, waterfowl, and Red-wing Blackbirds is loud.
Mom may see dad up there where I can't see him and he might have some food. They're not likely to feed with me in sight so I start to make my way back to the farm.
I'm far enough west that Mom behind her twigs is looking fixedly at something else besides me. I could see movement beyond the nest edge that might mean more than one eaglet but I can't be sure.
Well one can't have all the discoveries in one day. That would spoil the fun.
Speaking of discoveries, Screech Owl watching Jane of Georgia was out of town for three weeks and on her return has become rather mystified by the Screech Owl situation--
Hi Donna –
I’m now wondering, since I missed the Owl Identification class at birding school (J), if the rust colored Oscar is really the female. Could the gray Olivia have been a juvenile bird following Oscar?
I have been gone for three weeks and come home to no Olivia sightings and to seeing Oscar poke his/her head out the door several times during the day. I follow the Austin screech owl cam and see that the mother of the four babies on that site is in the box off and on during the day – so I’m thinking that may be what’s happening here/
I’m confused. I don’t know Whoo is Whoo!
Jane
Wow Jane, I don't know. What do you mean exactly regarding a juvenile bird following Oscar?
Unless Screechs are done with their breeding in your area, there shouldn't have been a juvenile around. Unlike most other raptors, young owls tend to be smaller than their parents when they fledge.
I'd suspect that both parents are in the nest box until fly out. Try laying in wait for the fly-out at dusk and see who comes out. If there has been a hatch, both parents will likely come out within a few minutes of each other to hunt.
Once the owlets fledge, they do follow the parents for training for a while and they'll likely be found roosting together and sometimes with their parents on a tree branch during the day or perhaps if the cavity is big enough they'll all go back there. Considering the size of most nest boxes that seems unlikely in your situation.
Let me know!
Best,
D
Ms Browne,
It's a tossup as to what I admire more, Quicksilver's intelligence or your patience. Thanks for sharing some of his life with us.
Jeff (Wild NY)
Hi Jeff,
Well Quicksilver and I have been together since he was three months old. We've gotten used to each other I guess, though I admit he does try my patience on occasion as I no doubt try his.
For instance, today I caught him hanging upside down from the kitchen counter which gave him access to the corner cupboard carousel. There he was. beak down, toes clamped, making a hole in the bag of Frosted Flakes in preparation to helping himself. He does have a real taste for Frosted Flakes.
Now he could have tried to fight me for them, which some parrots might well have done, but Silver never does. He knows he's being bad and he's busted so he politely gets on my hand, rides back to his perch while listening to me lecture... and waits for his next chance. :-)
We do try to be civilized.
Donegal Browne
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