Black eagle chick doing well and growing very fast

The Black Eagle Project Roodekrans (BEPR) confirmed on June 9 the presence of a chick in the eagle nest at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden (WSNBG).

Photographic evidence of prey being brought to the nest provided strong indications that the egg has hatched and there is a possibility of a chick on the nest.

According to BEPR, Makatsa and Mahlori’s chick is growing very fast and is about 56 days old at the time of writing (July 30).

“Black eagles always breed during winter, and the chick is covered in down which, together with the protection of the female, keeps it warm and snug.

“Both adults are starting to leave the chick alone on the nest for longer periods while they go out to hunt.

“The chick has a ferocious appetite and the adults have to work very hard to make sure there is a constant supply of food,” said BEPR monitor and photographer, Johann van den Berg.

Johann revealed to the Northsider that both the adults and the chick are doing very well after the cold weather that was experienced in Gauteng.

When asked about the gender of the chick, Johann said, “There is no way to determine the gender of the chick at this stage, but the timing of fledging is normally a good indication.

“Females are slightly bigger than males, and therefore fledges a little later than males.

“If the juvenile fledges between 90 and 95 days, it is a good indication that it is a male. Anything above 95 days would suggest a female, but there are also other factors to reckon with, like the food supply and the general well-being of the juvenile,” explained Johann.

BEPR normally runs a competition with the help of the Roodepoort Record/ Northsider newspaper whereby the readers are asked to suggest a name for the chick.

The BEPR Committee members will then decide on the name by means of a vote.

BEPR chairman, Gerald Draper normally organises this competition, but he is out of town at the moment and will be back by the end of the following week.