■ 22 April 2009 | 7:53 PM
Norfolk's eagle babies get their braclets
T
he babies in Norfolk's famous bald eagle family got their braclets this morning - identifying them for a lifetime.
Biologists took the three rapidly-growing eaglets from their nest at Norfolk Botanical Garden and put the silver-colored bands on each of the three youngsters After a quick photo, the three quickly were put back into their nest and attended to by mom and dad.
Right now, none of the three youngsters even remotely resemble the majestic national symbols that they will be in about a year. Right now they are little more than gray fuzz balls of feathers. They one day will look like mom and dad, glorious in black feathers with white heads and tails.
About the only thing that makes the three look like what they will turn out to be is the yellow legs that contrast the bald eagles' black and white look.
In the picture after the banding are, from left to right: Dr. Bryan Watts, Reese Lukei and Stephen Living. In their arms, in order of hatching, are eaglets one, two and three. Joe Foreman sent us the picture of the four-week-old eagles.
You have to admit it, they are about as cute as cute can be.
And in about a year, they will look like the bald eagles we all know and love.
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Quickly Subdued
I concur that this is an excellent opportunity. Unfortunatly Bald Eagles wouldn't have suffered their near demise if it hadn't been for those pesky humans once again. I am in no way a treehugger or activist and enjoy my hunting and fishing it just seems the older I get the more I see how destructive this man creature is and how much smaller this blue ball is getting. Just take a peek out the window next time you fly and you will see that malignant man cancer spreading.
Just this year I was bow hunting at a top secret spot on my one of my few days off. Just as primetime was approaching I heard a distinct metal clattering followed by talking. Two guys carrying an extension ladder walked almost directly under my climbing stand pausing briefly to relieve themselves and oblivious of me. Since idiot season wasn't in I couldn't shoot them. Just one example that the world is shrinking and don't even get me started on fishing. Carolina licenses %$#@&*!!
Bald eagle plumage
Good catch wizzyliz.
According to the National Geographic field guide to birds: "Bald eagles require four or five years to reach full adult plumage."
The guide does state, however, that birds CAN start to show some signs of exactly what they are after a full year. Early on, juvenile bald eagles often are confused with young golden eagles. In the second year, bald eagles start to have plenty of white on the under parts of their tail feathers. In the third year their bill finally joins the legs in full yellow.
Thanks again, wizzyliz, for setting this old guy straight.
As far as being free and "banding or branding", well, we're all entitled to our opinion. The bald eagle was nearly extinct at one time and biologists need to keep track of how many birds there are and how healthy the population is. Birds like the ones at Norfolk Botanical Garden offer an outstanding opportunity for biologists to study them.
Hit the books, Lee
The distinctive white head and tail feathers of a bald eagle appear only after the bird is 4 to 5 years old. So you and your readers will have to wait way more than a year to see these adorable chicks resemble their parents.
Quickly Subdued
Good story, but it is kind of ironic that even our most precious national symbol is pulled from it's nest and banded, "should I more correctly say branded". Don't talk to me about it's for their own good etc. That kind of talk is for polititicans and lawyers. I just wanted to point out that even the very symbol of freedom cannot escape the meddling ways of our society. Nothing here is truly free, at least not for long.