04-25-2024, 07:50 AM -
(04-25-2024, 12:20 AM)Hobbit99 Wrote: So.... Mom doesn't take them for a few "test flights", sort of show them the ropes.?? How do they figure out what to eat.?? How to catch a fish.?? What other animals are "food".??
Quote:""Now, listen up son (daughter), you can't eat sticks and rocks. Gotta go catch your own food now. Fishes are good to eat. You gotta sneak up on them though. You gotta hide in the sun and come streaking down at high speed then dip your toes in the water and grab a fish. We're not trying to go swimming here, just dip your toes in, like in a wading pool. You can see the fishes if you get the sun angle just right. Just reach in and grab one. They're free.!! And usually there's a bunch of them and pretty easy to catch. Other smaller birds can be good to eat too. Generally almost anything that is smaller than you that doesn't have big teeth or BIG talons, like another eagle or a big owl. Squirrels are tasty. Rabbits are good too. You can even steal that house cat, you know, the one in that big yard that you fly over every day. No puppies though. Owners are real protective of their hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of puppy. They got BIG shotguns -- really dangerous chasing puppies. You gotta stay away from horses and cows and sheep, even the little ones. I know they look little from up here, but they're really NOT that little. And avoid bigger cats. They're just liable to eat YOU instead. No bears either, even the little ones. Momma bear is really protective of her cubs, and she gets REALLY mad if you chase them. Best to just stay away. Really it is.!! You can eat possums, and raccoons, mice and voles and chipmunks, even skunks. They're really stinky though. Pheasants are good. So are prairie chickens, and grouse, and ducks -- if you can catch them. Crows are fair game. They fly kinda slow too. You could bust up a flight of ducks pretty easy. Just get above them and attack from behind. Easy-peasey. Geese are a little tougher. Bigger too. Couple meals worth. But they don't fly too fast, except when they're on a trip. So, if you see 'em from up high, you can usually pick one off. One last thing. About those 'puppies' I mentioned. Out in the woods and fields you're liable to see some running around in a group. If you see one off by itself, you could probably sneak in and grab one. Gotta be real careful though. Sometimes those 'puppies' are baby coyotes or wolves and their parents are around somewhere close. Several of them will work together and YOU could end up being dinner. They're sneaky like that, and they have razor sharp teeth. Probably best if you stick to fish, for now. In the beginning, they're a lot easier to find, and it's not too dangerous, as long as you don't go deep-water diving and break your neck or a wing. Okay, you're all set. Happy hunting, and May The Force Be With You little eagle buddy.""
So... Who teaches this stuff?? Who "man-splains" the tough lessons.?? (Serious question..). I've never thought about the 'coming of age' thing for eagles. It's not like they've had 18 years modeling parental behavior like humans. Once they move out and get their own apartment, what happens.?? Do they band together (the young of the year) and help each other.?? I seriously doubt that. Too much competition. Is this an example of Darwinian selection.?? Life just becomes a crap-shoot.?? It seems like mom and dad should take them out for a couple of trial runs at the "hunter-gatherer" stage.
Come on LP..... Give me some hope here.
OH --- BTW...
They're "flapping" their wings NOW.!! (At least one of them is - I can't really tell them apart. (I'm sorry. I guess if I spent hours at a time I could learn to identify each of them. I just know them as #23 and #24. Which is which = who knows.?)).
So 12 weeks -- They have to be getting close to that. About 9-10 weeks aren't they.?? It's getting scary.! CRAP... Imma gonna go now - Do some research. Hmmm...maybe I don't want to know.??
https://facts.net/eagle-facts/
Q: Do young eagles learn to hunt from their parents or are their skills innate
A: An excellent question. Young eagles from wild nests develop their hunting skills on their own, but spend considerable time after they fledge watching their parents and undoubtedly learning by watching what the adults do. The actual skills involved are learned by trial and error, I'm sure. Much of the hunting skill (or at least the drive to hunt) is innate, as our hacked eagles were fledged into an environment without adults around to "teach" or "show" these young birds. Yet, these birds, again through trial and error, learned to hunt for themselves and survive. We felt it was important to continue to provide food at our hacking towers after the eaglets fledged, to give them a source of food for as long as they needed it. Eventually, each eagle at it's own pace, these young birds stopped using our offerings and began foraging on their own. Similarly in the wild, the adult parents will continue to provide food for some time after fledging, while the newly flighted birds hone not only their hunting skills, but there flying skills. On average, I would say it takes about 4-12 weeks for young eagles to start hunting successfully. True, fully refined, specialized hunting skills, probably take years to develop.
https://journeynorth.org/tm/eagle/facts_life_cycle.html
Good questions. Above are a couple of links with some interesting info.
By the way, I can neve tell any of the birds apart..the eagle watch admins are very good at it. And those people are dedicated.
They seem to eat anything they can catch. Fav is fish of course. A few weeks ago one of the parents brought a snake in. It looked a little tough though.
I learn things in the chat. There are always new people coming along asking questions.
the parents stay around the nest all year. I am always a little sad when the kiddos leave.
