We’re catching up on videos today, but I wanted to share this footage of DN12 before the roundup. DN12 was 11 days old when this video was made. Eaglets gain roughly two pounds in their second week of life. They experience rapid growth in features like beaks, culmens, and footpads, start replacing their white natal down with thicker grey thermal down, and begin exploring the nest. Although they aren’t yet standing on their toes, they are able to sit up – way up! – for feeding and shuffle around on their metatarsi. Their eyes are wide open and fit more comfortably in their eyesockets, features like brow ridges are beginning to appear, and their legs and footpads more yellow than pink.
We some of that in this short clip of DN12 (the full video can be watched here: https://youtu.be/WBhtqmQC_lE). DN12 still has an adorable floofy dandelion head, but its grey thermal down/flannel suit is starting to grow in. Our masked bandit’s eyes are wide open – no tiny baby eyeslits! – and fit comfortably in their sockets. Its culmen is clearly larger and its egg tooth is starting to erode away. If you follow the link to the longer video, you’ll see DN12 sprawled out across the nest in the 23rd minute, playing ‘house’ with some nesting material as it explores the world with its sensitive beak! We also get a quick glimpse of its growing clown clompers at 33:36 (you might have to slow the video down to see it) and a nice sit-up, complete with cropzilla, at 31:25.
If you’d like to read a little more about eaglet development in the second week of life, follow this link: https://www.raptorresource.org/2019/04/12/eaglet-growth-and-development-week-two/
The Raptor Resource Project