I’ve seen mature Bald Eagles dancing in the sky as part of pair bonding. And some territorial brush backs. But I’ve never witnessed young Bald Eagles clashing until recently.
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
Pointe Mouillee State Game Area sits along northwestern Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Huron River and just south of where the Detroit River empties into the lake.
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There are a few Bald Eagle nests in the area. Given the frequency with which I’ve seen juveniles and subadults, the adults seem to be successful parents. So it’s not unusual to see what look to be family groups of Eagles. It was an entirely different story last week.
There was a group of five youngsters, along with a couple Red-tailed Hawks and a flyby Peregrine Falcon. At first, they seemed if not peaceful, then at least everyone had their space.
Then one or more juveniles started getting aggressive and the interaction turned into a relentless chase. I looked for explanations of why juveniles might fight. All the articles I found were about adult eagles.
[T]hese powerful raptors are also highly territorial and will fiercely defend their nesting and feeding grounds. Eagle-to-eagle conflicts are most frequent during the breeding season when pairs defend their nesting territories. However, clashes over food resources can occur year-round. Birdful
Makes sense to me that resources and mating were the most common reasons for fights. But these eagles were all first years — much too young to be even thinking about mating and defending nest sites. I have some guesses, such as nestmates continuing their rivalry, a locally fledged eagle chasing an intruder, or both practicing the skills needed to survive in an area with plentiful but still not unlimited resources.
More from the Birdful site, describing Bald Eagle fighting techniques:
- Talon grasping – Eagles grapple with feet, trying to clasp talons around head or body.
- Spearing – Attempting to stab rival with talons while flying.
- Grappling – Locking talons and tumbling through air.
- Bill jabbing – Delivering blows with the beak.
- Rear attacks – Surprise attacks from behind.
- Wing buffeting– Buffeting rival with open wings.
- Screeching – Distracts or startles during fights.
- Crash dives – Diving fast to build lethal momentum.
Before getting to the sequence, I’ll add a little more context about the area. To the west of Pointe Moo is a landfill. It appears to be “full” as there is no truck traffic in and out. The updrafts mean that there are usually raptors to be found. To the southwest is an active limestone quarry. I wish I had a bird’s eye view, but it’s protected by a high fence and berm. I saw an ariel photo once and there’s lots of ponds — not surprising given the proximity to the Huron River and Lake Erie, so the water table is high. Several times, the Eagles plummeted down, disappearing behind the berm. Each time, they would come soaring back into view moments later.
The juvenile Bald Eagles demonstrated some of the combat strategies listed above. What follows are sequential photographs, although with many deletions in between.
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Now it’s your turn. What’s up in nature in your area?
Any guesses as to what these juvenile Bald Eagles were up to?