May 12, 2005
Answers to your Questions
First, we wanted to pass along some info from the Vermont folks. Lil Lumbra, their media person, has confirmed that our eaglet is in box #3 on camera #2 (there are two eaglets in each box). Also, she kindly sent along this beautiful photo of two of the Maryland eaglets that arrived in Vermont (we're not sure if one is our eaglet). Click on the thumbnail for a full-size photo.
And before we get to Craig's comments, I wanted to mention something our cam watchers have surely noticed on our site: that the eaglets are out of view quite a bit these days. Our cam technician reports that they have taken to standing on the branches around the nest -- definitely a precursor to flying. In fact, here's an interesting photo showing only their shadows. The oldest could fledge in the next couple weeks. We'll let you know if we see signs that it has happened.
Also, here's an interesting pair of cam shots from today that showed the eaglets feasting on a fish by themselves. They're definitely growing up. Now onto Craig...
Craig Koppie, our tree-climbing endangered species specialist from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, was kind enough to give us his time so we could get answers to our most frequently-asked-questions regarding the Vermont hacking move. To give our cam watchers some background, Craig has been working with bald eagle and peregrine falcon recovery since 1977. He is a raptor biologist, bander, and master falconer and has personal experience caring for raptors in captivity.
First, we asked Craig if he could speculate on the sex of the second eaglet -- Porthos --based on the info he had after handling the bird. Craig said he believed that there is an 85% chance that the eaglet in Vermont is female. [A female musketeer -- it's about time] :-)
We also asked him if it would be a problem when the oldest eaglet at the cam nest fledges before the youngest. Craig believes it's likely it would not -- he said that the oldest eaglet leaving the nest first would encourage the youngest to want to fly, too. Craig also believes that the parents -- who have done such an amazing job raising the three young -- would most likely continue to take care of the youngest until he becomes airborne as well. After the birds fledge, they will still continue to use the nest as home base and the parents will continue to offer them food if they need it.
Craig also offered an interesting observation of something we can't see on the cam. While he was making the decision about which eaglet to take, he watched the eaglets on the video monitor at the Refuge to judge their maturity, and he said that when the parent brings a meal, there is a great deal of jumping about by the eaglets, who put up quite a ruckus over the idea of incoming food.
Regarding the Vermont hacking project, we asked Craig why the hacking box did not have straw or grass in it because we thought that would be more comfortable. Craig said that while some hacking projects use such items, he believes the Vermont biologists are not using it because it would present a real danger for fungal infection. Both straw and grass collect moisture -- from excrement, from driving rain, and even from food. Stagnant moisture in the nest would encourage the growth of fungi. If the eaglets were to cut their toe pad on a splinter or some other box item, then they could develop a staph infection such as bumblefoot, which can lead to the loss of a talon and eventually death if not treated properly. This would be especially problematic if it occurred just as the eaglets were about to fledge. (Note: Lil Lumbra from the Vermont Initiative confirmed that they are now using the same type of nesting material that they used last year when they successfully hacked 8 eaglets).
Moving the eaglets inside would not be a good alternative because the biologists want the eaglets out in the elements so they are prepared for when they leave the hacking tower for good. Even though the hacking tower is now their home, in about 3 weeks they will fledge and only use it as a platform from which to feed until they are catching their own food. The tower is meant to be a short-term home. Once they're independent, they will hopefully return to Vermont to breed because it will be where they fledged, but they will not return to the hacking tower to nest.
We also asked Craig about the water bowls. He said that unlike pet birds, raptors get most of their water from food. Fish skin, for example, holds a good deal of moisture. Craig believes the bowls are provided more as an added convenience, since the eaglets are getting water from the items fed to them by the eaglet care team.
We asked Craig if the eaglets will miss not having a parent around to teach them important skills. Craig reassured us that the parents are not needed for eaglets to become fully independent adults. He said flying is instinctual and hunting skills will develop in time. When the hacked eaglets first start collecting their own food, they will do what all eaglets do -- they will first focus on carrion, as well as fish in shallow waters because those are the easiest types of food to collect. Eventually they will learn to efficiently snatch fish out of the water with their talons. During this learning period, food will still be provided at the hacking tower until the eaglets can take care of themselves.
Finally we asked Craig if the Vermont eaglet will likely return to the Chesapeake Bay area during the eaglet's "bachelor" years and during migration seasons. Craig said he thought there was a good chance the eaglet could come back to the general area of its birth during these times, and then return to Vermont to breed. Craig said he thinks it would be worthwhile to put radio transmitters on the raptors so their migration could be tracked and the biologists could learn if hacked raptors return to their home nest areas at any time during the year. He said he hopes they can find funding for such a project because he believes the information would be valuable.
Craig stated that he believes the team in Vermont is providing high quality care for the eaglets. We want to thank him for taking the time to answer our many questions.
In our next log post, we'll talk about bird banding and the rivet bands that Craig put on the eaglets' feet.
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster