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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.