SWFL Eagles ~ Cute Closeups Of E23 💗 Tongue Barbs, Ear, Thermal Down & Super Sized Crop Seen 1.10.24

It is a warm day in SW Florida and E23 is panting to cool off while F23 is on the nest keeping watch. We get to see amazing closeups of E23's tongue barbs, ear coverts, thermal down coming in, clown feet, pale talons and a supersized crop.The tongue of a bald eagle is extremely sensitive and filled with tactile sensory corpuscles. Notice the backward facing tongue barbs and there is a hole in the back of his throat known as the glottis. The tongue barbs are also called "rear directed papillae" and aid in the swallowing of food. The hole in the tongue is the “glottis” which is the entrance to the larynx and trachea which is known as the windpipe. The glottis closes during swallowing. These actions help prevent choking when swallowing large pieces of prey.

At about 2 weeks old, E23 will be able to regulate their body temperature. You can see the dark colored thermal down coming in underneath the light grey down on E23. This thermal down will allow E23 to thermoregulate their body temperature. This down is also known as mesoptile feathers. The principal purpose of the thermal down is to provide insulation from the cold.
While this second coat of down comes in the eaglet’s thermal system develops. E23 will have also gained mass relative to the surface area which increases their metabolic heat production. E23 weighs about two pounds now and will be increasing in weight by 1/2 to 1 pound each week.

The ear coverts (holes) can clearly be seen on E23 on the side of their face just below the eye. The ear will only be seen in young eaglets because as their adult feathers grow in, they will completely cover up the ear hole. That is why you never see ear holds on juveniles or adults.

E23 will be sleeping & a lot and growing during these next few weeks! M15 & F23 are doing a great job raising their first chick together! Thank you for watching!

To see the highlights below, please click on the timestamps to advance to that portion of the video.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Opening F23 on nest and E23 sleeping by rails
00:39 tongue barbs and ear coverts seen
01:02 Tongue barbs
01:08 E23 has some eye gook in left eye - it is common & not an issue
02:00 E23 panting - to cool off
04:41 Thermal down seen coming in & huge crop
04:57 Light colored talons - will turn dark by third week
06:00 Closeups of curled foot
09:46 F23 on attic
10:44 E23 Tucked under F23

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

Thank you SWFEC , hosted by Dick Pritchett Real Estate, for allowing us the opportunity to view these amazing eagles.
#southwestfloridaeaglecam #eagles #baldeagles #SWFEC

Link to cam 1: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/southwest-florida-eagle-cam/?cam=1

Link to Cam 2: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/southwest-florida-eagle-cam/?cam=2

Link to cam 3: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/southwest-florida-eagle-cam/?cam=3

Link to Pond Cam: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/southwest-florida-eagle-cam/?cam=4id

Видео SWFL Eagles ~ Cute Closeups Of E23 💗 Tongue Barbs, Ear, Thermal Down & Super Sized Crop Seen 1.10.24 канала Lady Hawk