5 Comments

1. chris7 says:

   January 20, 2010 at 4:21 pm

   Reese, I read that it take 5 to 10 days after a successful mating for an egg to be laid. So, if eggs are laid every 3 or 4 days, then there must be more than one forming at a time. Can the female tell that there is a bun or two or three in the oven so she will stop mating? Or is there some other way that eagle pairs control how many eggs they have? Thanks.

2. rlukei says:

   January 20, 2010 at 4:47 pm

   Chris – The sperm of the male can remain active for up to seven days. It is a lottery as to wether a sperm will find an ova (female egg). Once it does it has to find the oviduct. It then takes about 24 hours for the egg to form, so only one egg at a time is forming. It is extrenely rare for more than 3 eggs to be produced. As to why that is, I am not sure but will try to find out.

3. Margy says:

   January 21, 2010 at 2:59 pm

   How interesting! Hope this pair will again have three eggs. Can’t wait for the first egg to arrive!

4. rose says:

   January 22, 2010 at 7:19 pm

   reese — rare for more than 3 eggs- ? she produced 5 when Buddy was sole survivor right ?

5. rlukei says:

   January 22, 2010 at 7:54 pm

   Rose – You are correct. However, the difference is that the NBG pair layed a clutch of two eggs which were addled when they abandoned the nest and eggs. They then recycled, mated again and layed three eggs in a second clutch. The female crushed the first two of these eggs when she was startled at night by a Great Horned Owl. The third egg hatched and is the eagle (known as Buddy) that is at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
   Reese