In what seems to be a never-before-seen phenomenon among the species, a white-tailed eagle couple has skipped this year’s breeding season in order to care for a juvenile who broke a wing.
Hatching in April, unseasonably wild weather blew an eaglet from its nest on the Isle of Mull during the July fledging season. Its mom and dad have spent 12 months nursing it back to health, even going as far as to skip the mating season.
Typically juveniles will leave the nests in October, but this bird is still with its parents, and no new eggs or chicks have been observed in the family.
Members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK, recently recorded a video of the “miracle” chick in flight, soaring on thermal updrafts without issue, even though its left wing was disfigured from the fall.
“We normally think of eagles as ‘hard-wired’ and unemotional but clearly there might be another side to their nature,” said RSPB officer Dave Sexton to the BBC. “I loved white-tailed eagles before. Now I think I love them just a little bit more.”
Sexton spotted this juvenile in springtime. Its mother and father were still bringing it fish, even though it was already almost fully grown. He said he has never seen or heard of anything like it before in the eagle world.
“I’ve also consulted with other eagle experts at home and abroad, and so far no one else has reported this kind of extended parenting behavior for an injured chick.”
Last year, GNN disseminated the stunning saga from a nest cam video in Canada that captured a red-tailed hawklet being taken from its nest by a mother eagle to feed its eaglet. However, as the hours pass, neither parent nor offspring show any desire to eat the hawklet, and the family eventually adopts it.
This article by Andy Corbley was first published by The Good News Network on 12 July 2024. Lead Image: Eagle with healed broken bone – by Ashley James.
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