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On 20 March the juvenile celebrated her sixth month on the estate . She has been well looked after and generously fed on a diet of dassies , monkeys , venison and even a likkewaan . Consequently she is in excellent condition and probably ready for the tough times ahead .
Tough , because once a juvenile reaches the sixth- month stage , the parents instinctively start the weaning process to make her independent and able to hunt for her own food . In the early stages of her development the adult male delivers food to the nest and the female feeds her .
By the time she is 12 weeks old , she feeds herself without the mother ' s help . During the next stage the male no longer delivers food to the nest but drops it off on a nearby tree . As the distances from the nest increase and the deliveries become less frequent , hunger provokes the juvenile to become aware of potential prey moving around on the ground .
Finally , the parents cease providing food altogether and that forces the juvenile to apply the hunting skills that are imprinted in her genes .
For the next few weeks , expect to hear her sustained and frantic calls to her parents
CROWN EAGLES / KROONARENDE
for food . By the end of April she will probably be independent and ready for the next stage in her life-cycle . That is usually in May when the parents become ugly , chase her out of their territory and compel her to start an adult life for herself somewhere else .
Visitors and residents alike should bear in mind how extraordinarily privileged we are to be able to witness this rare and threatened saga at such close and convenient quarters . Many bird lovers never see a Crowned eagle in their lifetime and those who do , mostly have to trek for hours through rough forest terrain to enjoy the brief privilege .
Op 20 Maart het die jong Kroonarend haar sesde maand op die landgoed gevier . Sy is goed versorg en in word in oorvloed gevoed op ' n dieet van dassies , apies , wildsvleis en selfs ' n likkewaan . Gevolglik is sy in ' n uitstekende toestand en waarskynlik gereed vir die moeilike tye wat voorlê .
Wanneer ' n jong arend die ses-maand stadium bereik , begin die ouers instinktief die proses om haar te speen en haar onafhanklik te maak om haar in staat te stel om te jag vir haar eie kos . In die vroeë stadiums van haar ontwikkeling lewer die manlike arend kos by die nes af en die wyfie voer haar .
Teen die tyd dat sy 12 weke oud is , voer sy
haarself sonder hulp van die wyfie . Tydens die volgende fase lewer die manlike arend nie meer kos by die nes af nie , maar eerder na ' n nabygeleë boom . Soos die afstande vanaf die nes toeneem en die aflewerings minder gereeld word , ontlok honger die jong arend om bewus te word van potensiële prooi wat op die grond rond beweeg .
Laastens hou die ouers heeltemal op om voedsel te verskaf en dit forseer die jong arend om die jag vaardighede wat ingeprent is in haar gene , toe te pas .
Jy kan verwag om vir die volgende paar weke haar volgehoue en benoude oproepe , na haar ouers vir kos , te hoor . Teen die einde van April sal sy waarskynlik onafhanklik en vir die volgende fase in haar lewensiklus gereed wees . Dit is gewoonlik in Mei wat die ouers gemeen raak en haar uit hul grondgebied jaag om haar te dwing om ' n volwasse lewe iewers anders vir haarself te begin .
Besoekers en inwoners moet besef hoe bevoorreg ons is om hierdie rare en bedreigde sage in so ‘ n nabyheid te ervaar . Baie voëlliefhebbers sien in hul leeftyd nooit ' n kroonarend nie en diegene wat dit al beleef het , moet deur gebroke terrein reis om die vlugtige voorreg te geniet .
Written by / Geskryf deur Jacques Sellschop
The juvenile is now able to fly freely alover the estate .
Photos by / Foto ’ s deur Jacques Sellschop
The male hunts and is delivering a dassie carcass to the nest .
Instinct has taught the six-month-old juvenile to watch intently anything that moves on the ground .