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Bald Eagle D27 Found Dead

April 13, 2026 RaptorResource

We’re sorry to announce that Bald Eagle D27 was found dead near Castalia, Iowa earlier this year. She was the daughter of Mom and Dad – the original Decorah Eagles – and we followed her travels from August of 2017 through September of 2022, when her transmitter failed. To see her travels, click the link and select the Make A Map tab: https://www.raptorresource.org/learning-tools/eagle-map/ D27 was killed by lead poisoning, almost certainly the result of exposure via lead shot or fishing

What is a brood patch?

April 11, 2026 RaptorResource

Daylight length, or photoperiod, strongly influences hormone production in birds. In the northern hemisphere, our story begins shortly after the winter solstice in December. As daylight length increases, a cascade of hormones causes birds’ gonads to swell in preparation for reproduction, egg-laying, and incubation. In this blog, we’ll discuss the role the brood patch plays in incubation and determining clutch size. How do bald eagles keep their eggs warm in subzero temperatures? They nestle eggs up against a special area

Eaglet Growth and Development, Week Two

April 8, 2026 RaptorResource

In their second week of development, eaglets gain roughly two pounds, experience rapid growth in features like beaks, culmens, and footpads, start replacing their white natal down with thicker grey thermal down…

How Do You Tell HD and HM2 Apart?

April 7, 2026 RaptorResource

We’re getting questions about how to tell HD and HM2 apart. ID can be pretty tricky, but here are a few pointers. When the two are together, it’s pretty easy to tell them apart since HM2 is quite a bit bigger than HD. She has a larger head, a longer beak, and a deeper brow. HM2’s Distinguishing Features Look for a dark beauty mark behind HM2’s right eye and more ‘eyeliner’ on both sides: a consequence of her deeper brow.

Monday NetFlix Mega Raptor Roll: Eaglets and Eggs!

April 6, 2026 RaptorResource

We have your Monday mega-raptor roll Nestflix! But before we get to the movies… Decorah Eagles DH3 and DH4 are in their second week of life. We saw our first adorable PS on March 30 (the same day that bonking began), a long rainy day on April 2, a nice tandem feeding on April 4, and – unusually – a chipmunk on April 5. Suckers are spawning and eagles prefer fish, but the chipmunk must have been an easy catch

Read more Decorah Eagles, Decorah North Eagles, Fort St. Vrain Eagles, News

Hoppy Easter, everyone!

April 5, 2026 RaptorResource

Hoppy Easter, everyone! We have eggs at many of the falcon nests we watch and plenty of places to go on an Easter egg hunt! Bald eagles lay white eggs, peregrine falcons lay eggs that range from light cream through brick red, and red-tailed hawks have pale eggs that are lightly splotched with brown. How and why do the birds we watch lay differently colored and shaped eggs? https://www.raptorresource.org/2026/04/02/egg-colors-and-shapes/ How many treats did DH3 and DH4 find in their Easter

Egg Colors and Shapes

April 2, 2026 RaptorResource

Peregrine Falcon Elaine’s eggs inspired me to write a quick blog on the colors and shapes of eggs. Bald eagles lay white eggs, peregrine falcons lay eggs that range from light cream through brick red, and red-tailed hawks lay pale eggs lightly splotched with brown. How and why do the birds we watch lay differently-colored and shaped eggs? Egg Colors Where do egg colors come from? Once a bird’s egg enters its shell gland, it is plumped with water and

Eaglet Growth and Development: Week One

March 31, 2026 RaptorResource

We’re writing a series of blogs about the first few weeks of an eaglet’s life. An eaglet spends roughly 75 to 80 days in the nest. For about the first half, it grows and gains weight. For about the second half, it grows flight feathers and starts developing the skills it will need post-fledge. We will focus on week one in this blog. What can we expect in the first week following hatch? Like humans, a growing eaglet has developmental

Monday NetFlix Mega-Raptor Roll: Decorah, Decorah North, Fort St. Vrain, and Castle Rock!

March 30, 2026 RaptorResource

We have your Monday mega-raptor roll Nestflix! But before we get to the movies… Now put your feet up and grab a snack…it’s time for NestFlix! Decorah Eagles Decorah eaglets DH3 and DH4 are three days and one day old today. Watchers sometimes worry about feeding, especially after bonking starts, so here’s a look at feedings in their first few days of life. Date DH3 feedings DH4 feedings Fed by Prey March 27 1 — HM2 Fish March 28 6

Decorah Eaglet DH3 is Here!

March 27, 2026 RaptorResource

DH3 is here! It’s isn’t easy to see, but look at the lower right side of the video to watch the hatchling tumble out of its shell at 7:01 this morning. We can’t hear HM2’s quiet chirps as she tenderly collects the hatchling with her beak and nudges it beneath her warn feathers. But we can hear her softly vocalizing to HD when he comes in to see his hatchling. She isn’t ready to give up her first morning of