Notes on a Young Golden Eagle in Colorado
Notes on a Young Golden Eagle in Colorado
Late in the summer of 1936 we noticed, on a ledge projecting from the face of a sandstone butte, a rather large eyrie. While the construction seemed somewhat too heavy for a Rough-legged Hawk, we were reluctant to consider any other possibility because of the extraordinary accessibility of the location. The butte in question is only a few miles east of Colorado Springs, near a road, and on one side it blends without a perceptible break into the open prairie. The ledge itself is only three and a half feet below the flat table top of the butte. We were sufficiently intrigued to visit the place again the past spring (1937)) not once as it turned out, but many times.
The first of these visits was on May 30. Not knowing what awaited us, we approached the eyrie rather carelessly and a female Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) sprang from it when we were about ten feet away. In the nest there was one young of estimated age of one week. One sterile egg was discovered on the top of the butte about twenty-five feet from the eyrie. At intervals of two or three days the visits were continued, until June 24. On eight of the eleven visits one or both of the old birds were present, the female usually protecting the young bird from the brilliant sunlight. Numerous photographs were taken of the young and old birds, some at a distance as short as 3 1/2 feet. Once the female nearly knocked the camera from the photographer’s hands in her effort to depart.
As we approached the eyrie on our last visit, we saw several boys in the neighborhood of the butte. To our disappointment we observed that their objective was the same as ours, and we overtook them as they were marching away with the young eagle in their possession. It would not have been difficult to have persuaded them to return the bird to the eyrie, but after conversing with them for a half hour and pointing out the responsibility bhich they were undertaking, we decided that if we did, it was quite likely that the young eagle could fall into the hands of less humane captors. The boy who had possession of the bird had had an eagle once before which, according to him, he had kept in good condition. As that bird finally escaped, it can be hoped that this one will also regain its freedom.
It ought to be mentioned that not once did we find remains of food at the eyrie other than cottontails and jack-rabbits. Apparently food was brought at irregular intervals. Sometimes we found two freshly killed animals in the eyrie and on other occasions it was obvious that the food supply was two or three days old. The owner of the ranch on which the butte is located did what he could to protect the eagles. He had numerous chickens hut they were never touched. Incidentally, we have noticed that the farmers and ranchers in this neighborhood are well aware of the economic value of bids of prey.
Considering the tactics of other raptors in the defense of their nests, we were a little disappointed that this pair of eagles made no effort to defend theirs. After not more than one lazy circle they always disappeared beyond the range of vision of six-power binoculars.
T. H. Rawles, L. R. Rawles
Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 3, 1938
