2019 Memory Lane Countdown, #7: Can DN9 Eat That?
Bald eagles have remarkably flexible digestive systems. They can store food in their snack-pack storage crops, grind and sort it in their mortar-and-pestle gizzards, and expel non-digestible solids like fur and scales. We’ve documented the Norths feeding on white-tailed deer, placenta, turtles, squirrels, wild turkeys, and a variety of fish…just to name a few of the things we’ve seen them bring to the nest!
Still, DN9 was in a league of her own this year when it came to dinner time. From whole duck heads through bones that looked longer than her body, nothing seemed too big for her to get down the hatch! We often watched with bated breath as DN9 swallowed the latest giant choking hazard. Could she really eat that? We were relieved to see her join the clean plate club every time! #EagleTableManners
Sherri, RRiverEagle, and CamOp Spish mentioned these moments. Note: these videos might not be to everyone’s liking – although I enjoyed them!
- DN9 swallows a duck head: https://youtu.be/jJ9BP_2E_nk. Mr. North and DNF must have forgotten to tell DN9 not to swallow anything larger than her head!
- DN9 Eats Two Bones: https://youtu.be/B08BbqdtK7E. Yikes! Mr. North and DNF must have forgotten to tell DN9 not to swallow anything longer than her digestive system!
The suspicious-looking greenery in the second video reminded me of another North Nest moment. The Norths experimented with farming again this year…and what a crop they raised!
https://www.facebook.com/RaptorResourceProject/photos/a.168536729849621/2230988526937754/?type=1&theater
What’s on the North Nest menu? Check out our old blog spot to learn a little bit more about what the Norths eat:
https://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2018/08/whats-on-menu-at-decorah-north-nest.html
The Raptor Resource Project