March 11, 2005
Chick Development
After seeing the eagle nest wallpaper we posted a couple days ago, some cam watchers asked how the eaglets will change as they grow. Below is a series of four shots showing major stages in a bald eaglet's path to adulthood -- as the chick loses its fluffy down, grows its feathers, and eventually takes on the distinctive coloring of its parents. Click on the thumbnails below for larger photos.
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The eaglets weigh about four ounces at birth, and soon they'll be gaining that much weight every day. And in 10-12 weeks, when the eaglets are ready to fledge or fly, they'll be almost as big as their parents.
Immature bald eagles will not develop the distinctive all-white head and brown body of the adult until about 4-5 years of age. During this transition period, the immature bald eagle will sport a brown and white mottling on its feathers that sometimes causes people to incorrectly identify them as golden eagles in areas where the two coexist.
Posted by Webmaster at March 11, 2005 12:04 AM