Search Results for: eaglet growth

Eaglet Growth and Development: Week Four

April 19, 2024: DN17 and DN18

We’re writing a series of blogs about the first few weeks of an eaglet’s life. An eaglet spends roughly 75 to 80 days in the nest. For about the first half, it grows and gains weight. For about the second half, it grows flight feathers and starts developing the skills it will need post-fledge. We will focus on week four in this blog. During week three (fourteen to twenty-one days), the dynamic duo shed most of their natal down, gained

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Eaglet Growth and Development: Week Three

April 6, 2024: Sleeping - and dreaming! are part of eaglet growth and development.

We’re writing a series of blogs about the first few weeks of an eaglet’s life. An eaglet spends roughly 75 to 80 days in the nest. For about the first half, it grows and gains weight. For about the second half, it grows flight feathers and starts developing the skills it will need post-fledge. We will focus on week three in this blog. DN17 and DN18 turned 15 and 14 days old today. During week two (seven to 14 days),

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Eaglet Growth and Development: Week One

March 27, 2024: An Eagletude fit for royalty! DN17 and DN18 turned three and two days old today.

We’re writing a series of blogs about the first few weeks of an eaglet’s life. An eaglet spends roughly 75 to 80 days in the nest. For about the first half, it grows and gains weight. For about the second half, it grows flight feathers and starts developing the skills it will need post-fledge. We will focus on week one in this blog. What can we expect in the first week following hatch? Like humans, a growing eaglet has developmental

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Eaglet Growth and Development: Week Four

April 28, 2023: DH2

We’re writing a series of blogs about the first few weeks of an eaglet’s life. An eaglet spends roughly 75 to 80 days in the nest. For about the first half, it grows and gains weight. For about the second half, it grows flight feathers and starts developing the skills it will need post-fledge. We will focus on week four in this blog. During week three (fourteen to twenty-one days), DH2 shed most of its natal down, gained a lot

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Eaglet Growth and Development: Week One

March 26, 2021: DN13 eats breakfast!

We’re writing a series of blogs about the first few weeks of an eaglet’s life. An eaglet spends roughly 75 to 80 days in the nest. For about the first half, it grows and gains weight. For about the second half, it grows flight feathers and starts developing the skills it will need post-fledge. We will focus on week one in this blog. What can we expect in the first week following hatching? Like humans, growing eaglets have developmental milestones.

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So Hungry! Growing eaglets, growing appetites!

DN17 and DN18 turned three and two days old yesterday! The eaglets aren’t ready wander the nest just yet, but it was fun to see them popping their little periscopes up from beneath DNF and Mr. North’s feathery coverlets. Did the dynamic duo get enough to eat? Our camera operators recorded seventeen feedings from DNF and five from Mr. North. DN17 ate 14 times and DN18 ate 12. I’m surprised they could left their heads for more food by the

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From bobble heads to eaglets: Natal down, thermal down, and flight feathers!

April 25, 2023: DH2 sprawls comfortably in the nest.

As DH2 starts to sprout pinfeathers, we’re getting questions about natal down, thermal down, and juvenile feathers. Unless otherwise stated, the information in this blog applies to altricial birds, although most research in this area has been done on precocial and semi-precocial birds like ducks, geese, and cranes. Altricial and precocial birds have some marked differences in pre-hatch follicular development and post-hatch molts.   Natal down, thermal down, and juvenile feathers Does thermal down sprout from natal down pores? Do flight

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Standing and Walking: We’re Big Eaglets Now!

May 3, 2022: DN16 and DN15 are big eagles now!

We concentrate on geese for a few days and DN15 and DN16 turn into tweagles: tween-age eaglets! Their weight gain is slowing, their mid-toes, foot pads, and tarsus are close to or at their adult size, and their juvenile feathers are unfurling and growing! DN15 and DN16’s wing chords and central retrixes (the central pair of tail feathers) will more than double in length over the next 40 days as they get ready for life beyond the nest. The next

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Decorah North Eaglet Update and NestFlix!

April 13, 2022: DN15 and DN16. When did they get so big?

It’s been a busy few days at the North nest! DN15 and DN16 turned 19 and 18 days old today. What’s fueling their incredible growth rates? We’ve watched Mr. North and DNF stuff skunk, rabbit, duck, placenta, squirrel, trout, sucker, and many unidentified bits of meat into hungry eaglet mouths. The eaglets’ footpads and talons have grown and changed color, their grey thermal down is rapidly overtaking their fluffy white natal down, and the two of them are lunging at

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