Now that the eaglet/eaglets have hatched, what can we expect to happen over the first 14 days?

Week One

• Eaglets double in weight in one week.
• A weight gain of 1/4 to 1 pound per week is expected up to about week nine or 10.
• It will take several days to develop any mobility, so feedings are sometimes clumsy: facing the wrong direction or landing on its back.
• Eaglets cannot regulate temperature. Born only with light natal down, the parents must brood constantly to keep it warm and dry.
• The area around the eyes is dark, giving it a bandit look.
• The ear holes are visible through the thin down (which will disappear as fuller down grows in).

Week Two

• Eaglets will begin to move around, first in the nest bowl, then eventually out of the nest bowl using their haunches (leg bones) and tips of the wings to scoot around.
• The white natal down begins to be replaced by thicker grey thermal down, often with little tufts of down showing in places.
• The leg and foot pads change from pink to yellow.
• The beak, leg and foot pad have the largest growth, leading to looking out of proportion to the rest of the body.

Reference:
American Eagle Foundation

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