Well, two of our readers have seen the bald eagles at EagleCam mating: once two days ago, and once today, at about 1:30 p.m. EST. Matings appear to take between 4 and 10 seconds. I suspect that multiple copulations will ensue in the next couple of days, a situation typical in birds.
The good news is that, as Hempenstein reports, we have a good chance—about 83%—of seeing chicks. He notes that this appeared on the running webcam commentary:
Source CCB: Bald eagle surveys have been conducted in Virginia since 1977 when Dr. Mitchell Byrd at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg* and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) initiated the first systematic survey. Those surveys have been completed every year and beginning in 1991 have been conducted by The Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary with funding from the Wildlife Diversity Program of VDGIF. One of the principal objectives of the survey is to determine bald eagle productivity. In 2008 there were 557 known active bald eagle nests in Virginia. Productivity in 15 (3%) of those nests is not known because vegetation was too dense to see into the nests. Of the remaining nests 97 produced no chicks (17%), 107 produced one chick (19%), 263 produced two chicks (47%), and 76 produced three chicks (14%).
*Dr. Byrd (an appropriate name for an ornithologist) was one of my professors at William & Mary.
If Bald Eagles evolved from ancestral birds, when why are there still birds? Just saying – it’s God’s will if there will be chicks or not. He just decides, about 17% of the time, to relax.
And if dogs evolved from wolves, why are there still wolves?
And if we evolved from monkeys, then why are there still monkeys?
‘If Bald Eagles evolved from ancestral birds, when why are there still birds?’
Because even if all other birds had died out, the Bald Eagle is still a bird. 🙂
Can’t wait for the chicks. That will be fun.
Since the brevity of bird sex seems to be of interest, people might like to know that most birds lack an intromittent organ (that’s “penis” to you non behavioral biologists) and just have a single opening, the cloaca, into which both the genitourinary and digestive tracts empty.
When they mate, the male lines up his cloaca with the female’s, and releases his sperm. The process has been called a “cloacal kiss” by someone much more fanciful than I. But it doesn’t take much time at all. In some species, the female can eject the sperm afterwards, which obviously reduces the chances of that male siring any chicks.
The famous corkscrew-shaped penises of ducks that my friend and colleague Patty Brennan studies (and that Carl Zimmer immortalized in the NYT) are an exception among birds.
If you *really* want interesting bird sex, try swifts — they mate MID-AIR. I’e seen it.
Monotremes,as the name suggests, also have only a cloaca. Do they have an intermittent organ?
I can’t imagine a randy Echidna without a shlong. Likewise a Platypus. It just doesn’t seem mammalian.
That was intromittent, not intermittent. Damn spelling on FireFox.
Can you imagine the idyllic scene by the creek?
Female Platypus: ‘Hey darl, feeling a bit frisky?’
Male: ‘Sorry, my organs a bit intermittent. This is so embarrassing!’
Female: ‘Have you tried the blue pill?’
Ah, so that’s why the name!?
“- How was it for you, darling?”
“- I don’t know, I blinked!”
… and now I know why I see so few birds smoking.
I spent 1½ hour yesterday looking at the female in the nest. I know I repeat myself: they are truly magnificent animals.
(Oh – and yes, I did do other things as well. I sorta worked)
Both eagles are in the nest now
I love the eaglecam, so neat to see them interact!
Also – I had a Dr. Bird as an ornithology teacher at McGill. I wonder if a name like that is any influence on career choice, haha.
Amazing closeup right now!
Yes! Whoever is doing the camera is doing a fantastic job. I can hardly tear myself away to go to bed…
HOT EAGLE SEX, LIVE ONLINE!!!
Snerk.
I caught them working on the nest yesterday. Cool 🙂
I just missed it 😀 They were having their postcoital cigarette when I tuned in. And then fixing the bed.
If it’s a double eagle, doesn’t that make it an albatross? But then it’s also two birdies. I’m confused….