The parent eagles take turns feeding and caring for the eaglets

[lunatica]

I just saw one land on the edge of the nest and take over the feeding while the one that had been sitting on the babes flew off.

Live and learn.

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

[aquart]

1. And yet, no link.

[lunatica]

3. fixed and here it is again

sorry!

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

[MineralMan]

2. Yes, that's the way eagles do it.

Lots of birds do that. Were you surprised?

[lunatica]

4. Not surprised. Just happy to know for sure

[MineralMan]

7. Part of the reason mammals parent in different ways than

birds is the feeding method. Both sexes participate in feeding the young in most birds. Since only the female mammal produces milk, early parenting is generally done by the female mammal. In mammals which stick together in pairs, the male does other things, such as hunting for food for itself and the female.

Among grazing animals, the pattern is usually different, since food cannot be brought to the nursing female. In most grazing species, the young are born well-developed enough to travel with the female as she grazes.

In carnivorous animals, pairs often do not bond in a way that keeps the male in proximity to its young. Bears, for example, mate, then the male goes on its way, leaving all parenting to the female Cats operate in the same way, except for pride-forming cats like lions.

Humans are mammals, but form more or less permanent pairs. They share parenting to some degree, based on cultural norms, but the female does all the early feeding and most care of infants until they are weaned. Biology trumps sentiment.

[okieinpain]

9. interesting. n/t.

[okieinpain]

5. which we could teach that to some humans. n/t.

[MineralMan]

8. See my #5 above. Mammals are different from birds in many ways.

Some of those ways alter child-rearing habits among mammal species.

[DawgHouse]

17. I have a nesting pair of doves off and on all year long

right outside my back door in a hanging fern. They do this too. So interesting to watch!

[virgogal]

6. I missed that and I've been watching for hours----left the room for about

10 minutes. Damn.

Most fascinating thing ever IMHO.

[malaise]

15. One eaglet is peeping out from under a parent

Too cute

[lunatica]

10. Both parents on the nest again

Dropped another fish and flew off again.

I've seen video of eagles fishing on the fly. It's astonishing and beautiful.

[Iterate]

16. I've seen them do that several times right in front of me,

twice at much less than 100 ft. It's just as effortless as a person reaching down for a baseball while walking. Swoop, snag, there goes the fish. I spent a lot of time in canoes in a previous life.

[outerSanctum]

11. What a weenie friggin' eagle.

he should be out bowlin'...

[BlancheSplanchnik]

12. say that to her face!

Weenie! Weenie! Nyahh Nyahhhhh----------WHAP!

feather imprints all over your nose.

hee hee :D

[HopeHoops]

13. They obviously aren't Republicans.

[tnlefty]

14. Not trying to jack your thread, but I like raptors and found this funny

If the link doesn't take you to page 2, it's on page 2 under the section, 'Birds and Bikinis' and the article is headlined 'Eagles and ospreys are flying packrats'http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/87805702.html?page=2&c=y

Lacy bras, bikinis, golf balls, etc. in their nests. Most amused I am. :rofl:

[apples and oranges]

18. delete

delete