Do Eagles Sneeze?

Our last update on the Broadmoor Golf Course nest located at the 11th T still had the solo youngster not quite ready to fledge. This video was filmed on July 25 with the juvenile bird already having left the nest for about two weeks. Madison Park residents report the youngster was perched in the evergreen above Bert's Red Apple food begging about ten days ago. While the big goofy "teenager" is hanging out, the female flies in above the "juvie" and the young bird immediately gets excited thinking food was on the way. Alas, the parents have cut the young eagle off from a regular allowance as is normal. Hunger will incentivize the young eagle to begin the school of hard knocks process of surviving on its own. Young bald eagles do this by scavenging, begging, stealing, and bullying. Learning to catch live food on your own is difficult to master and any time an easier option appears, bald eagles revert to that process. They are not proud. The youngster will hang out near the nest for as long as that behavior is rewarded and then slowly venture forth into the wide cruel world of self-reliance. Being a predator is very hard work!

[@georgiegirlgamez8059]

so cool!!!!!!!!!

[@jthejh]

I’ve actually heard Bald Eagles sneeze on the many live streams of nest cams. They make a quick puff of air and a brief “choo” sound. So yeah, the sneezing is similar to us, but not quite the same!

[@laurachapman1829]

Much new information that I did not know. I thought that once they left the nest it was a done deal. It makes perfect survival sense to go back to where food was regularly provided. And the eagle parent, needing for the juvenile to hunt on its own, has to provide what we human’s call “tough love”. Very enjoyable video, but the narration makes a big difference in understanding what has happened before to provide context to what the viewer is seeing.

[@RaptorEducationFoundation]

Laura, thanks for the comments! Did you catch the sneeze?

[@laurachapman1829]

@@RaptorEducationFoundation Yes, I think I did. It was towards the beginning of the video. I guess I was just more interested to find that juvenile had already left the nest and came back. I know not to compare their behavior to humans, however, I find the similarities interesting.

[@RaptorEducationFoundation]

@@laurachapman1829 Sneeze was almost at the end of the video....

[@laurachapman1829]

@@RaptorEducationFoundation My brother found it before I did. Now I recognize when it happened.