Jo UK wrote:ergee is right - Spot 1 doesn't know that both can survive. It msut be an eagle's instinct to behave this way.
What is even more perplexing is why the younger chick does not fight harder.
This paper is very interesting! Yarko posted the link yesterday. I think we are seeing a textbook example (hard as it is to watch, it exactly what this species does).
http://www.raptor-research.de/pdfs/a_sp ... ainism.pdf
Cainism, nestling management in Germany 2004-2007 and satellite tracking of juveniles in the Lesser Spotted Eagle (
Aquila pomarina)
Meyburg, Graszynski, Langgemach, Sommer & Bergmanis
Slovak Rapt J 2008, 2:53-72
... there is a great deal of aggression between the young birds, even on the part of Abel, THis leads to fights between the chicks in which one of them soon gains the upper hand and intimidates the other. THis consent, by the weaker, to being bullied leads to the death of one of the nestlings, even when there is no difference in size (demonstrated by bringing together two young eagles of equal size in experiments). The weaker young eagle hardly has the courage to take part in feeding (citations not copied). Food availability is however of no significance at this stage ...
Cainism is prevalent in a lot of other raptor species (e.d., the Bearded Vulture, many eagle species) and other bird species such as Cranes, Cakatoos[sic[ etc.Under the Aquila eagles it is most pronounced in Verraux's Eagle (A. verrauxii), the largest species. THere is yet no agreement among experts as to why two eggs are laid, which as a rule leads to only one young bird fledging, or the significance of cainism in terms of evolution (citations not copied).
I will follow the life of Eha and Koit and the chicks such as it is day by day.
What's the time there? Afternoon? or.. 
sorry i had to argue my point.
