Three Downy Red-tailed Hawk Nestlings Perk Up For Breakfast As 4th Egg Hatches - April 26, 2022

[@damianfries7262]

This is just so amazing to be able to watch the care of baby hawk chicks. We are so lucky to see this.

[@izzij3599]

Yawned when one of the chicks yawned. So cute sleepy heads.

[@brendawilson5637]

It always amazes me how gentle they can be you've been feeding their babies. She is so beautiful💞

[@brendawilson5637]

*when feedimg

[@Cindy-lr6su]

Love hawk blessings

[@oxtailslicer]

This is so awesome to watch... so far so good !

[@BubblePi]

That little yawn and allopreen from mum at the start is just 💗

[@edwardhill6945]

Many viewers seem distraught by the sibling rivalry, unequal feeding, etc. There is no cause for alarm. #3 is newly hatched. Because they grow so fast he simply looks smaller. He’s fine, it takes a few days to refine motor skills, & get better at grabbing food. The hawks & falcons are quite good at getting them all fed. Remember, this clip only shows one feeding. They don’t all eat every time, nor do they need to. 20 minutes after this clip, there is probably another feeding, which isn’t shown. In a few days they will settle down the pecking. All get fed, & barring some event, all will be fine. The adults will not do anything about sibling aggression, they simply don’t have that sort of cognitive reasoning. It will cease quickly here. Don’t watch bald eagles or Osprey if it bothers you. They will kill or starve siblings if food gets scarce. I’ve often wondered why the USA picked the eagle as their symbol, it can only be because size matters, & the white head is impressive. The falcons are much better at exhibiting the traits we find desirable as a society.

[@patarahilltouchberry49]

I agree with that. And the bald eagle has the worst squeal instead of a royal roar!

[@steffie0383]

Osprey nests are the worst...they don't eat rabbits etc only fish but man are they fierce w sibling rivalry.

[@roycekeefe9462]

Love to watch the little fuzzy chicks. I am anxious to see #4.

[@joanies6778]

Wow... I missed it last year with 4? Amazing!

[@dianestiner8602]

These hawklets look like little bouncing ping-pong balls 😅.

[@rhimoon6454]

She seems to be feeding the front right one a lot more! He seemed to peck his siblings too! Wonder if this 4th egg will hatch and if so whether it’ll become breakfast! Does anyone know how many are likely to survive?

[@biancamarques6840]

At this age they are too tiny to hurt anything. This fighting behavior normally disappears over the course of a week or so. Normally all three babies grow up and fledge, no problem. Let's see this year, with a fourth coming!

[@eightinches6094]

All of them will survive and fledge IF the parents consistently bring prey. When the first oldest are full and no longer want to eat then the younger ones have an opportunity to eat as long as mom and dad continue to bring food.

[@lc1695]

They'll all survive as mom and dad keeping plenty of prey available. The chicks just have to learn to grab the food when it's offered and will get better at it as they grow stronger.

[@michelecherre779]

All should survive if food is plentful and Big Red is a pro at this!🥰

[@rhimoon6454]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

[@lorrem2539]

Oh we have the bully! But Red’s kids usually get better at being buds.

[@Challenger73]

At 1:40 " Hey, where'd our blanket go?"

[@susanvanhemel746]

I've watched for enough years to have stopped worrying about the littlest ones. They survive ---or they don't. This is the largest brood in years, so it will be a pleasant surprise if they all fledge and survive to breeding age.

[@stellviahohenheim]

I'm glad people like you exist, just be chill.. you can't control everything in this world, the people who think they can are huuge ashhole and narcissist

[@natsunoyo]

Oh, awesome, the fourth egg will hatch! I was kinda wondering if it would turn out to be inviable

[@Kamiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

I see the 4th egg. but not hatched. Hope the mom does something about the bully one. Will it kill its own sibling?

[@birdiel7182]

We’ve seen this behavior every year and none have been seriously injured.

[@Kamiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

@@birdiel7182 Thank You, First Year watching these ones, I usually watch falcons!

[@edwardhill6945]

@@Kamiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii The adults will not do anything about sibling aggression, they simply don’t have that sort of cognitive reasoning. It will cease quickly here. Don’t watch bald eagles or Osprey if it bothers you. They will kill or starve siblings if food gets scarce.

[@sherrywebber4013]

I can hardly watch with the L1 pecking the other 2 & the middle one not getting much. I know this is nature.... so I pray #4 WILL get a helmet ⛑ 🪖 & all 4 survive.... it will be a record!! 🥰😍🤩💜❤💕💝

[@birdiel7182]

This is normal young nestling behavior which will soon subside. They aren’t strong enough to inflict serious damage at this point.

[@edwardhill6945]

The hawks & falcons are quite good at getting them all fed. Remember, this clip only shows one feeding. They don’t all eat every time, nor do they need to. 20 minutes after this clip, there is probably another feeding, which isn’t shown. In a few days they will settle down the pecking. I’ve often wondered why the USA picked the eagle as their symbol, it can only be because size matters, & the white head is impressive. The falcons are much better at exhibiting the traits we find desirable as a society.

[@sherrywebber4013]

@@edwardhill6945 TOTALLY agree!! I have always had a fascination with the falcons & hawks rather than the bald eagle.

[@scottgaremko9870]

Welcome to my world!

[@munbruk]

I can't see the 4th one

[@marydonals1831]

How many eaglets are in the nest?

[@gamerrex5940]

Eaglet is such a cute word!

[@rridderbusch518]

#4 will need a helmet. I've seen enough of the youngest getting pecked to near death. Good luck, little one! ❤

[@alisonwhite5612]

I think the Dale Hollow bald eagle nest saddened all of us who watched it this year. Personally, I love watching falcon hatchlings, who don't seem to do any bonking at all.

[@mrsreed9585]

The smallest chick in back isn't getting very much to eat. It's survival of the fittest I observe. What survival chance does the as-yet unhatched chick have?

[@edwardhill6945]

If it hatches, very good. This clip only shows a single feeding, one of dozens. If you have the time to watch the live cam, you’ll see they all get fed, the bonking will stop in a day or two, & #4 , even if substantially smaller, will be fine. Hawks & falcons are much better at feeding all vs eagle’s & especially Osprey.

[@pattymanfred2399]

L1 needs a time out ! Concerned about the littlest chick (L3?) - it looks weak & sickly to me. Do you think it will survive? What are the red/pink 'abrasions' some of them have ??

[@birdiel7182]

All 3 appear healthy and thriving to me. 😊

[@edwardhill6945]

The unfeathered portion on their bellies is common on many nestlings at the start. Looking closely, or examining new hatches, you can see they actually have a “belly button”, where they absorbed the last of the yolk sac just before hatching. Those markings are normal. #3 is newly hatched. Because they grow so fast he simply looks smaller. He’s fine, it takes a few days to refine motor skills, & get better at grabbing food.remember, this clip shows only one feeding. Many others are not posted. All get fed, & barring some event, all will be fine.

[@CornellBirdCams]

Thanks for the question. This is totally normal behavior! The chicks will wrestle and peck at each other, especially for the first bit after hatching. They aren’t strong enough to do any real damage, and the behavior typically wanes as the chicks get older. The hawks tend to supply more than enough food to quell any concerning sibling aggression. More serious sibling aggression has been documented in other Red-tailed Hawk nests before, but we haven’t ever seen it at this site.

[@pattymanfred2399]

Thank you for this, Edward.

[@pattymanfred2399]

Thank you for replying, Cornell! I appreciate your time.

[@susannaparkinson3663]

Ugh, so hard to watch this relentless aggression by L1. Hoping this phase passes quickly.

[@michauxbôts]

Yes - I don't remember it happening like this between them last year...

[@susannaparkinson3663]

@@michauxbôts Right? I've never seen anything like it....can't imagine what awaits poor little L4.

[@birdiel7182]

Happens every season at this age but soon passes.

[@nancywood9531]

He is a food bully. Will get worse probably.

[@susannaparkinson3663]

@@nancywood9531 I'm afraid you're right. It's not that I haven't witnessed this type of behavior before, and I am aware as someone else commented that this behavior tends to subside. My comment was really more about the level of this chick's aggression and that in my experience, (which is limited to the past three years) it has never seemed this relentless, and in L1's case, even on occasions when there is no food present. Yes, it's nature but that doesn't mean it's not uncomfortable to watch :(

[@jennyabbott9142]

Ya got some schmutz on your face! (at 6:10)

[@steffie0383]

Resembles what they are when their older....mean and ruthless. 😐

[@patarahilltouchberry49]

Sibling rivalry not cool and upsetting. The Mother needs to knock him out of the way.

[@張家慈-f4x]

又在欺負弱小了.