Birdfriend wrote: ↑June 15th, 2019, 11:07 pm
Just I peeked in here. Yes,
Timea it is always very hard to accept that for us humans, but it is the rule by this species, only the first hatched chick normal will survive. It is named "cainism."
That's the reason why I can only watch the nests with
one chick.
Me too, Birdfriend. I can watch ONLY one egg s nest.
Some parents are able to raise both chicks... sometimes... very rarely. Unfortunately. There are approx.
1 or 2 cases in 100 cases only when both chicks successfully fledged !
This season is rich on rodents, but thanks to instinct of siblicide imprinted in LSE (and GSE) genes we cant count that any of younger chicks survives.
I was very sad to see that "our" (on looduskalender) spotted eagles laid 2 eggs. And I do not watch these cams
Some say that a chance for younger chick increases with extra good food situation... but more of that... with a special weather conditions.
With
RAINY 
weather period following hatching of both eggs.
In that time female must sit on the chicks, cover them both and keep them dry and safe. If there is a food provided by male, both eaglets get their share but Mom has to cover them again... and this helps the younger eaglet to grow and get stronger without being badly attacked. After several days of such protection by Mom s body the size difference between chicks is eliminated so the younger one can defend itself later. And survive.
P.S. There was one interesting case in my country. LSE parents raised 2 chicks successfully... but those babies were Common buzzards
Slovakia, 2012, both eaglets on the nest (raised in rainy season)
Both chicks was up, now they are lying down again.
