Claws out in bald eagle feud
Rare birth in captivity leads to strife between chicks’ parents
New babies can be supertough on a relationship.
Just ask Hank and Shaya, who are now spending time apart, leaving Hank struggling with the role of single dad.
The two bald eagles lived happily together for two years at The Raptors, a raptor education centre in Duncan. Then came two eggs and, to the delight of staff, two chicks hatched about one month ago.
“We believe these are the first bald eagle babies hatched in captivity in B. C.,” general manager Robyn Radcliffe said.
But Shaya was not so thrilled with motherhood.
“The pressures and frustrations of dealing with their new charges spilled over into squabbles that quickly escalated,” Radcliffe said.
Shaya, who is 30- per- cent bigger than her mate, started beating up on him. Hank had to be pulled out of the enclosure.
“And she had spent so much time beating him up, she was not sitting on her chicks,” Radcliffe said.
The two chicks were removed from the aviary and put in a brooder. A week later, an attempt was made to appeal to Shaya’s maternal instinct and the larger chick was placed on the nest ledge. But Shaya steadfastly ignored it.
Staff hand- reared the chicks for the next couple of weeks and then set up a new living arrangement with dad.
“Hank feeds alongside the chicks and shows his progeny all his cool bald eagle moves,” Radcliffe said. “He’s learning how to be a parent.”