May 6, 2019
As an eagle's gonads begin shrinking, it decreases courtship and pair bonding behaviors. As prolactin ebbs, its metabolism speeds up, it becomes more physically active, its body fat drops slightly, and it probably becomes hungrier. A female eagle’s whistling ‘tea-kettle’ makes its first appearance as vocalizations change, although it still stimulates food delivery and/or an appearance by her mate. We're seeing a lot of this in the nest right now as Mom and DM2 work to keep their always-hungry eaglets fed. What looks like a falling out is simply a pair of mature, active bald eagles beginning to resume the non-reproductive phase of their lives.
