West End Eagles ~ THE BATTLE OF THE BONKING BOBBLEHEADS! 🐥🐥 3.11.24

The bonking has begun between the first two siblings. Akecheta is on Daddy duty and is trying to feed his eaglets but they are going at it with one another in a term we call bonking. The bobbleheads are experiencing their instinctual food competition even at this very young age and are reacting according.

Bonking is a term used when describing young eagle's fighting each other and competing over food. Bonking establishes the pecking order on the nest . The dominant chick (normally the first hatch) will peck or bonk their younger less dominant sibling (s). The is a normal behavior in the eagle world and this fighting teaches about survival on the nest. Bonking is not something negative or tragic, it is simply a behavior that young eaglets go through as they grow up. The more dominant sibling eats first and then the more submissive sibling will eat after the first has had its fill. Most cases of bonking will subside at around 4-5 weeks of age.

The eaglets are behaving as raptors - nothing more, nothing less. There are no “bullies” in the raptor world. There is no other thought than “I don’t want you to have any of my food”. Younger/smaller eaglets learn to avoid conflict and usually learn clever tactics to receive their share. Food is offered by the adults - it is up to the eaglets to figure out how get fed. Lessons will be learned which will help them cope when they are on their own and how to become the fierce eagles we symbolize and respect. Remember these are wild eagles and they live by nature's rules and not by our emotions. Anthropomorphism is cautioned and labels such as brats, and bullies don't belong in the eagle vocabulary. Use of human analogies and name calling does nothing but build resentment towards the new chicks.

Even when food is abundant, it is common to see siblings fight each other for it. An eagle has to willingly seek, and hunt food with exceptional skill in the wild, or they won't survive. They will have rival competition from other predators who will show no mercy. There will be no parent to fill their crops and this knowledge starts in the nest. This aggression is a learning experience towards being competitive in seeking or stealing food. It also serves as a significant lesson on how to protect themselves, or even bail out on a situation when their safety is at risk. They will learn how to wisely pick their own battles. As the eaglets get older the bonking subsides and they usually become friends by the end of the season. Thank you for watching!

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

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This eagle pair is a success story, part of a bald eagle restoration program started by the Institute for Wildlife Studies in 1980. Their nest has been active since 1991 and has been streaming live since 2005.

The West End Bald Eagle Cam is made possible through an educational partnership between Institute for Wildlife Studies, Montrose Settlements Program, Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, and Explore.org.

Read the full nest history here: https://www.iws.org/west-end-nest-his...

I recommend watching this video to learn about why the eagles have patagial tags also known as wing bling & the conservation work conducted in saving the bald eagles:

Return Flight: Restoring the Bald Eagle to the Channel Islands:    • Return Flight: Restoring the Bald Eagle to...  

Courtesy of IWS West End Bald Eagle Cam and Explore.org.
Watch live:    • West End Bald Eagle Cam powered by EXPLORE...