Decorah eaglets growing up fast, but how many will survive?

**Tuesday update: As viewers can see, the nest has been covered by snow. Please click here for the latest development.

The immensely popular eaglets in Decorah, Iowa, keep getting cuter as the fuzzy birds grow at a remarkably rapid pace -- all while being spied upon by millions of admirers via the Raptor Resource Project web cam.

But how long will the cuteness last?

I consulted with Baldeagle.com to learn more about American bald eagles and uncovered two distressing tidbits. The website stated that it's "not uncommon" for an older eaglet to kill a younger or smaller eaglet, and that eagle parents typically do not intervene during an act of eaglet fratricide.

Also, about 40% of bald eagles do not survive their first flight, and the Decorah nest is 80 feet high. The eaglets were born during the first week of April, so first flights aren't expected till at least mid-June.

By then, Eagle-Cam viewership will be off the charts. As of Monday mid-morning, more than 43 million people had checked in on the progress of the eaglets, and at the same time nearly 90,000 were watching at a given moment.

All three birds appeared healthy and were feeding heartily, thanks to the hunting prowess of their white-crowned parents. Perhaps a steady diet will keep them satisfied with the presence of one another atop the massive nest.

But fans of this real-life "Survivor" show can expect some suspenseful times ahead as they root for a happy ending to this story: for each of the junior raptors to make it off of their island alive.

-- Pete Thomas

Comments

[online bonus]

I guess there is great need od human interruption, but from the other side maybe it's just natural selection?

[Krysta Sylvestri]

You know what? He was wrong to put that transmitter on. He was wrong to think to put that transmitter on. He was wrong to TOUCH that bird. Now look at what you've done. You people are going around saying she's a cry baby, a chow hound, when she CANT fly! It was stupid and wrong, and i bet you didn't know that the transmitter was attached with super glue and teflon, which are both TOXIC substances. And, the eagles transmitter attacher can get hung up somewhere and KILL THE EAGLET. I hope to NEVER witness these idiotic actions again.

[Sherry Keeper]

We thank you so much as we are avid bird watchers and love the feed ,you have shared with all of us. We would like to know if parents will feed them now,June 6/2011 or are they on there own. Thanks again.

[James W Fletcher]

I have been watching these birds faithfully from the time that the third eaglet hatched. It is amazing the innate ability of the parents to care for the chicks. I only see two eaglets in the nest today. What happened to the third one? Did it fledge?

[Carole]

Been out of range for a couple of days. Is everything going ok?

[Karen Hawley]

I too watch the nest faithfully and even at work I will check on them. I was in and out today, but it seemed they were alone for sometime. It is fun to watch them being fed and then drop off to sleep. When I am home I keep my lap top on in the kitchen, so I check on them. The day of the snow I was concerned for them. I know how I don't like those cold and windy days. The male is certainly a good provider of food and glad to see hime share in the feeding duties, especially for the youngest. It is amazing how many people are watching. I have also taken my lap top to the activity room of the nursing home where I work, so the residents can see them.

[MP]

By the way, the reason I have quit watching other nests is because, once I get attached to a pair, it's heartbreaking if tragedy strikes. I've tried to quit watching any of them :) but the Decorah parents keep pulling me back and I keep hoping they stay successful.

[MP]

I watch the Decorah eagles faithfully and have quit watching others that have not been so fortunate. The Decorah eagles have very good conditions. While the 40% figure has been quoted for fledging eagles not surviving the first flight, keep in mind that the Decorah nest, while being very high, is not on a cliff or in a thickly populated woods. It may be an ideal location for first flights, just as it has been a very good food source location. Also, while Dad does seem to make sure E3 gets to eat, if you aren't watching the cam for continuous hours, you may miss the feeding of E3, the smallest, when he fills his crop and falls over to sleep it off. Again, the location is very good for fresh food, so, other than a little show of dominant pecking, there is less of an instinct for one eaglet to keep another from eating. Nature will decide what happens, but this eagle pair is very experienced and wonderful to watch. Let's hope we are watching them for years to come.

[Sally Clark]

I was glad to see both parents feeding the smallest chick yesterday. The father really took good care of the littlest one at chow time. I've seen Momma ignore the littlest one in favor of the two older chicks many times when feeding time rolls around. I just want to see all the eaglets make it.

I don't sleep well because of pain so I check them often during the night. At least it's an injoyable way to pass the time in the midde of the night.

[Kooly]

I had the same reaction to reading those facts. After becoming mildly obssessed with watching these eaglets grow, it would be such a shame to see anything bad happen to any of them. My fingers are crossed! The momma looks so miserable right now, all wet and cold. There's no sign of the babies so that must mean they are all tucked up under her, which is kind of hard to believe considering how big they've grown. I know the experts say they'll be fine but that doesn't stop me wishing I could send them some blankets!

[Sue Griesmann]

With this all day snow in the making and the eaglets being too big to be under the parents how can they survive being snow covered for this anticipated long term snow?