Original live video courtesy of @FOBBVCAM https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/
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A series of major winter storms will move through the area this week with significant snowfall likely across our mountains: http://bensweather.com/
Jackie and Shadow give a nice Tandem Feeding to their chicks. This was the third feeding of the day and the food was more equally distributed to the younger chicks. It helps to have two feeding beaks at once!
You may notice sometimes chicks (especially the younger ones) look very hesitant in the beginning of the feeding sessions, almost as if they are not interested in eating. There may be different reasons for the behavior. Once of them is related to the Sibling Rivalry. Smaller chicks exhibit submissive behavior to signal the dominant chick that they are not a threat. This helps them avoid bonking. All chicks continue to vocalize (beg for food) and parents react to the vocals by continuing to offer food. Eventually, submissive chicks work up enough courage to eat. By that time, the dominant chick is usually pacified and does not show a lot of aggression.
During this tandem feeding, Chick3 gets Jackie's beak all to themselves. Shadow feeds Chick1 and Chick2.
Chick1 and Chick2 are 8 days old. Chick3 is 4 days but but holding their own!
Sibling rivalry (bonking) is frequently observed in bald eagles and other birds, to establish the pecking (feeding) order within the brood. More dominant eaglets tend to eat first, while smaller ones wait for their turn or invent other ways to get fed: walk around and use parents as a barrier, take advantage of “tandem” feedings from both parents and “private” feedings while older chicks are in food comas. Please focus on appreciating their cleverness and be amazed at their intense focus on doing whatever it takes to survive.
When food is plentiful, parental nest attendance is high, etc, which are the situations we have here, sibling rivalry is often reduced to totally harmless (and sometimes entertaining) bonking. Sibling rivalry on our nest has, in the past, been quite low. We usually only see “bonking sessions” for a few days or so after hatching and the rivalry quickly turns into companionship.
🐥Chick1 hatched 3/3 @23:26, Chick2 hatched 3/4 @4:29, Chick3 hatched 3/8 before 6:13.
Chick1, Chick2 and Chick3 are temporary names. Chicks will be named via the Naming Contest. Please follow the FOBBV website & official social media for further details later.
Naming Contest involves both global and local communities. Historically, the final vote belongs to the local third grade class. This is because the first known chick in the Big Bear Valley (likely our Jackie) was discovered on a third grade field trip back in 2012.
ℹResident Bald Eagle male: Shadow (unbanded) since May 2018. Estimated hatch year: 2014
ℹResident Bald Eagle female: Jackie (unbanded) since September 2016. Estimated hatch year: 2012
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