~wildlife education~
Photo credit: istock.com/BirdImages
Eagle mates begin building their nests in April, and both the male and female gather nesting material. The nests, which are constructed of sticks and twigs, may be built on cliffs or in trees. Nests can be very large, sometimes up to 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and deep. The same nest may be used for several years in a row, becoming larger as new material is added each year. Eagles usually have several nests in a vicinity and may alternate between the different sites.
In late April, two or sometimes three dull white or creamy yellow eggs are laid several days apart. The eggs hatch after a 35- to 45-day incubation period. Young eagles become strong enough to tear meat apart by 50 days of age. They are fully feathered and ready to leave the nest 65 to 70 days after hatching. Although the young are as large as the adult birds at that point, their parents may continue to provide them with food and protection for as long as 3 months after they leave the nest.
Not all eagle eggs hatch, and the death rate of young eagles, as in other birds of prey, is high. Young eagles are antagonistic toward each other, and the stronger siblings often kill or cause the weaker ones to die of starvation. Losses due to exposure, diseases, parasites, and predation can also occur while the young are still in the nest.
The surviving young leave the nest after approximately 75 days. They do not attain adult plumage and breed until about 5 years of age.
More than 90% of eagles that fledge do not survive to adulthood. Nearly 60% die during their first year, usually due to starvation, disease, or causes directly or indirectly associated with humans.
Juvenile bald eagles generally are mottled brown or nearly black and resemble adult golden eagles. These juveniles have no distinct white patches. Their tail and wings are mottled brown and white on the underside in contrast to the characteristic white patches under the wings and the white-banded tail of juvenile golden eagles.
Young bald eagles undergo as many as six plumage changes before getting their adult plumage at about five years of age.
In nature, it is the strongest that survive which can be hard to understand and watch.
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