Bald eagles are kleptoparasites. When I checked on the eagles Wednesday morning I found the middle one on the hill eating something (fish?) supplied to it by its mother. While photographing that its older sibling came from behind, stealing its breakfast. Later in the day I found the eldest on the pole next to the watchtower. Its mother came along with a fish (or something) and started eating it herself on the watchtower. This time, while I was video recording, it attacked its own mother! There was some amount of schadenfreude when the mother 'accidentally' flicked the food off the pole, leaving the impudent youth to stare and scream. It would seem this behavior begins in the nest, after the parents stop making sure everyone gets their share (because it's too dangerous too get in the way of gnashing beaks and tearing talons), then is the primary way of feeding itself, along with scavenging, before and while it hones its hunting skills, but really carries on throughout life, probably because they have learned it is often easier to steal. Plus, if you can't steal the seagull's food, there's always the seagull... #kleptoparasitism #kleptoparasite #baldeaglets #baldeagles #kenaibeach #kenai #kenaialaska #cityofkenai #sonydschx400v #sonydsc #sonycybershot #SonyCameras (at Kenai Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTED_v1LaJ-/?utm_medium=tumblr
