Why bald eagles lay eggs in the winter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The eagle couple in Pittsburgh's Hays neighborhood is keeping two eggs warm and counting down to hatching later this month.
Why do eagles jump the gun when most birds nest and lay eggs in the spring?
It turns out there is an excellent reason: food.
Like the other eagle couples in the local area, the Hays eagles have returned to the same nest for a decade.
"They know they have access to food; they know that it's a safe place to be able to lay eggs and to raise young," said Rachel Handle of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.
Handle said not all eagles are on the same schedule.
"Down in Florida, they start laying their eggs in November, but that's because the eagles they have are working against the heat of the summer," Handle said.
By contrast, in our nest in the woods?
"The summer is actually a really great time for an eaglet to learn to hunt and to learn how it can survive on its own."
Back time the eaglet's development, and now is when the local birds get the process going.
"They look at things like, how much food is nearby, how much daylight is there right now?"
And in the coming weeks?
"The eggs are in the nest for about 35 days before they even hatch," Handle added.
But snow can still be an issue, as the Hays couple found out last year.
"The biggest challenge is ensuring that the eggs stay at a constant temperature; right around 100 degrees is where they need to be when they're incubating."
The nest design and the parents' body heat are enough to get the job done.
"In the land of eagles, parents do share duties being on the nest," said Handle.
If all goes as expected by June, the eaglets are ready.
"There is wildlife all around them. There are fish. There are lots of opportunities for them to hunt and eat and learn the things they need to do," Handle said.
Once they can sustain themselves, the eagles are out of there. No coming back home from school and living with mom and dad; they are on their own.
If eagles depart on their own, how long is it before they mate up and build a nest of their own?
Handle said they'll spread their wings for five years before they're ready to settle down.
They could end up anywhere, just not back at home.