Raptor Resource Project: Bald Eagle and Bird of Prey Cams

The Raptor Resource Project
♡ Donate
🛍 Shop
✉ Subscribe

Tag Archives: FAQ

Your questions, answered! Does DM2 learn from Mom? Will just one copulation fertilize all of Mom’s eggs?

March 13, 2020 RaptorResource

As part of our first egg fundraiser on February 28, John took questions from watchers over at Explore.org. A follower asked whether DM2’s maturity was the result of learning from Mom or his instincts maturing as he matures. We often talk about learning and instinct, as opposed to learning versus instinct. While instinct appears to take a bigger role in eagle behavior, eagles also learn. John’s answer: Much of an eagle’s behavior is innate. Instinct guides a wide range of

When will the eagles start laying eggs?

January 21, 2020 RaptorResource

Tik-tok egg clock! When can we expect our eagles to begin laying eggs? If they follow their usual schedules: The Xcel Fort St. Vrain eagles should begin laying eggs in mid-February. Look for laying to start between February 12 and February 21. The Decorah eagles should begin laying eggs in mid-to-late February. Look for laying to start between February 17 and February 23. The Decorah North eagles should begin laying eggs in mid-to-late February. We only have one year of

How much does N2B weigh? An answer and four videos!

November 17, 2019 RaptorResource

How much does N2B weigh? We have an answer and four videos for your Sunday night! I always love seeing Mom and DM2, and both Flyway videos are spectacular. Thanks to our camera operators and videomakers for finding and sharing such special moments and to you for watching and caring! Decorah Eagles 11/17/19: 8am nestorations – https://youtu.be/6q8cxShptqc. While we see activity throughout the video, my favorite section started when Mom flew in at 5:58 with a curved and very wonky

Who is Mom’s beau? It’s DM2!

October 21, 2019 RaptorResource

Like a lot of you, we’ve spent the past couple of weeks trying to figure out who Mom Decorah is spending time with. He looked like DM2. He acted like DM2. But was he really DM2? We got confirmation on October 19 when one of our camera operators got up close and personal with his left iris and captured his distinctive fleck! This mark, combined with distinctive head and facial features and his behavior with Mom around the nest, allows

What’s In A Name? Eagles and Falcons

August 21, 2019 RaptorResource

From John Howe: “You have asked us how we identify names for the raptors we follow. I can assure you that the eagles and falcons don’t care if they are called by a name or not. That is a human thing. However, we need to have a way to identify birds as we collect and share data. In the case of peregrine falcons, landowners and cooperative partners assign names as they please. In the case of eagles, we assign an

Identifying birds of prey in flight

June 28, 2019 RaptorResource

Bald Eagle or Turkey Vulture? Is that a Peregrine Falcon or something else? Understanding body plans can be helpful in identifying soaring, stooping, and flying birds. Coming to our After the Fledge party in Decorah? Get ready for Turkey Vulture or Not with this article! Bald eagles are soaring generalist hunters that eat almost anything they can catch. Peregrine falcons are energetic, acrobatic flyers that specialize in catching birds in the air. Both are birds of prey, but their body

What are feathers? What is molt?

May 19, 2019 RaptorResource

Eaglets go through two molts and three feather stages in the nest: natal down (and molt), followed by thermal down (and molt), followed by juvenile feathers. As of this blog, the Decorah eaglets are shedding the very last of their natal down and their thermal down is rapidly being replaced by juvenile down and feathers. We thought we would blog a little more about feathers to celebrate! When we think about feathers, we tend to think about their qualities (light,

What is up with our eagle Moms?

May 9, 2019 RaptorResource

We first blogged on this subject on April 30, 2014, but we’re asked about Mom’s behavior every spring. Wondering where the love went? This blog is for you! We’ve had several questions and comments about our eagle Moms. Why are they so demanding? Why are they mad at their mates? Why are they so mean? While I can find snippets of behavior that seem loving to human observers – shared incubation duty, mutual nest defense, and tandem feedings, to name

Your questions, answered: What’s in a name?

April 17, 2019 RaptorResource

What are we calling the eagles at our nests? In Decorah, the eagles are Mom and DM2 At Decorah North, the eagles are Mr. North and DNF Perhaps the number one question you’ve asked us this year touches on what we’re calling the eagles. Why aren’t we calling DM2 Dad, or Dad2, or Mr. Decorah, or anything else more name-like? Who came up with DNF – ugh, we hate that! Why not Mom and Dad, or Mr. and Mrs. North?

Your questions, answered: When will DM2 start feeding?

April 6, 2019 RaptorResource

I asked our moderators for their top questions of the day. You wanted to know: ‘When will DM2 start feeding his young?’. This is our answer. Note: The morning after this blog was written, D32 did his first feeding! You can watch that here: https://youtu.be/FhMf1CCJtBs It is interesting and sometimes nerve-wracking to watch what is most likely a brand-new eagle father after years of watching Dad, who had eagle fatherhood down. We’re going to talk about what DM2 is doing first: