Re: bald eagles

Posted by NewMexiKen on Jul 03, 2010; 1:25pm
URL: http://bald-eagles-of-broward-county-florida.17.s1.nabble.com/bald-eagles-tp5247829p5251028.html

Thanks for the alert. This is very possibly one of the Pembroke Pines eaglets, but there would be no way to prove its identity. Someone with a spotting scope might check to see whether it has a leg band or is carrying a transmitter pack-- if so, it would definitely NOT be a local bird, as none of them have been marked.

It is quite common for first year eagles to associate with vultures, as they are still developing hunting skills, and may depend upon a diet that includes more carrion, especially roadkills. Eagles are said to have a poor sense of smell, while vultures can smell carrion from miles away, hence the advantage of following the vultures to a meal.

This trait places them at special risk of being killed by motor vehicles.