Eva vs Albert

One of the most common questions asked when looking at one of the adult eagles is, Which bird is that? Is it Eva or Albert?


If the average female is around 13 pounds and the average male is closer to 9 pounds, this makes females nearly fifty percent larger than males. Even though their colors and markings are very similar the size difference should be visible. Yesterday one of the parents was at the nest and the other returned with a fish. Take a look at the following sequence of photos and see if you can determine which bird is Eva and which is Albert.

In the last two photos it appears quite obvious that the bird returning with the fish was the smaller bird, Albert. His stop is brief and then he is off to hunt some more. There are hungry mouths to feed.

After spending hours watching these two birds one begins to think you can see other differences as well. Alberts' face and legs are narrower, his body is on average smaller than the tree trunks just above the nest while Evas' body is actually larger than the tree trunks.

The feathers around Alberts' face are cleaner, however this may be a temporary situation. In addition Eva tends to sit on the branch closest to the nest while Albert tends to be a little further removed when and if he gets the chance to sit.

Last Chance to Vote:


It is looking like the naming of the eaglets is nearly decided with Beatrice and Eleanor leading the way. We will leave the voting open a few more days to give every one a final chance. If you would still like to vote.  Vote here.

Thank you for your interest.

Larry

Odds and Ends: One more?

This Waxwing on Foster Island appears to look at the serviceberry and ask, Can I really eat another one?

After careful consideration...

...that bright red one looks particularly nice.

Okay, but this is the last one.

Here is a parting shot of a Downy Woodpecker also seen last week at the Arboretum. It looks so small because it is our smallest woodpecker on Union Bay.