The Carolina Raptor Center announced today that although Savannah, the eagle, had laid three eggs this season, only one has hatched.
The newest family member hatched last Saturday and today Savannah was feeding and keeping the little eaglet warm by sitting on the nest.
Savannah and Derek, her mate, literally disposed of one egg and the last egg's chances are not very good. Tuesday was the eaglet hatching date, but so far no eaglet has arrived. Authorities feel that the egg will be pushed from the nest in the next few days.
The surviving eaglet will be at the Marcy's Eagle Research Observatory through the middle of March; the eaglet will then be placed in a hack tower, which is an artifical nest. The nest is not on Carolina Raptor Center property and the eaglet will learn how to feed and take care of itself. The eaglet will feed through a food chute until old enough to fly.
The hack tower back doors will open when the eaglet is between eight and ten weeks old to introduce it to the wild. The eaglet can choose to leave the nest at that time, but may perch itself on the side of the hack tower, flapping its wings.
As long as the eaglet returns to the nest, the Carolina Raptor Center staff will continue to feed the bird. Hunting skills will be practiced by the eaglet, but it can always return to be fed if they do not succeed in their beginning hunting tries.
If you would like to tour the Carolina Raptor Center, the eagle observatory is open on weekends only.
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