Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina) nest in Zemgalē, Latvia 2023

[Liz01]

15:55 Anna feeds the small chick.

Here I thought, maybe it will be different this year? But ...

[Liz01]

17:46 a hard attack.


For all new viewers:
The younger chick is killed by the older one (Cainism). Anna will feed the dead chick to the living one. Nature wastes nothing.
If you don't want to see that, don't look here for a few days.

Thank you IceAge Don't watch the video if you are sensitive

[Liz01]

June 9th

Good Morning IceAge, handbyl and all

thank you very much for great reporting and pictures


6:07 Anna is preening #1
6:08 #1 peek a boo


6:09 Anna flew away


strong #2

[Liz01]

6:11 She came back with a poplar twig

6:12 #1 attacks #2 but it was not "hard"


6:14 #1 is eating
6:20 feeding is over. Nothing for #2

[Liz01]

Cainism in lesser spotted eagles:


Author: Bernd-Ulrich Meyburg

The following factors are responsible for Cainism (fatal Cain-and-Abel struggle) in the Lesser Spotted Eagle: 1. The time lapse of several days between the hatching of the two chicks, giving the first-born (Cain or C1) a more or less considerable developmental advantage. 2. Cain's greater weight at the time of hatching. It usually also hatches from the larger egg. 3. The aggressiveness of the chicks towards each other. 4. The acceptance of intimidation by the inferior chick, even when there is virtually no difference in weight (e. g. in translocation experiments), to the extent that this chick hardly ventures to take part in feedings. 5. The scant attention paid by the female to the second chick. given its smaller size and, above all, its greater clumsiness in taking food due to its retarded development, shows that it holds a waning power of attraction. The food supply plays no part in this. At this time lhe nest contains an ample supply of prey. Up to now there has been much disagreement over the meaning of second-egg laying, leading as a rule to the fledging of only one young, and over the significance of Cainism within the framework of evolution in this and other eagle species. None of the attempts to explain it so far published is really convincing. One possible explanation for the phenomenon of Cainism may well be that the species is at an evolutionarily intermediate stage of transition from two-egg to one-egg clutches. For unknown reasons, and in contrast to earlier times, the raising of one young per breeding season is today sufficient to maintain the species. At a later stage in the course of its evolution this species, which at present lays a second egg clearly smaller than the first – one could regard this as vestigial – may well confine itself to laying no more than one egg per clutch.

[pascale]

We knew it will happen but it doesn't make it easier
In a golden eagles nest in Romania two chicks hatched. We knew siblicide would happen, it started...
But one afternoon mom kicked off accidentally the older chick from nest bowl and temperatures were near 0°C. She remained on youngest chick. The eldest didn't survive :( and the one who was supposed to be killed is thriving. (Bucovina golden eagle nest 2023)
Not that I want that something bad happens to our little #1 !
I just hope it ends soon... Like in 2020

[asteria]

if the first eaglet is a male, he kills the sibling faster.

[IceAge]

07:50
Anna feeds only the older chick. Chick1 attacks chick2.


10:54
Andris brings a vole.


10:57
Anna feeds chick1

[IceAge]

11:55
Chick1 pecks chick2.

13:59
Andris with a water vole.

[IceAge]

18:56
Anna feeds chick1. Chick1 always pecks chick2. Chick2 hardly moves at all.


20:05
Anna tries to feed chick2 too, but chick1 pecks it violently on the head.

20:53
Anna comes with a spruce twig.

[IceAge]

June 10.

Good mroning,

04:18
Anna flies away.

04:25
Anna sits on the tree and chick1 attacks chick2.


04:27
Anna with a green twig.

[IceAge]

09:11
Anna flies away and chick1 attacks chick2.

09:13
Anna comes back with a spruce twig.


11:23
Anna flies away and chick1 attacks chick2.
11:38
Anna with a green twig.

[ivarr]

i'm one of those that will just wait a few days or a week to watch again. nature is nature, strong defeats weak and i don't accept competition to my needs either. but i don't have to enjoy watching it.

[IceAge]

13:33
Andris brings a vole.

Then Anna feeds chick1.

14:03
Anna feeds chick2.
14:07
chick1 is full and Anna feeds chick2.

[IceAge]

15:29
a hard attack by chick1

15:30
Anna flies away.
15:38
Anna with a spruce twig.


18:05
Anna flies away and chick1...

18:12
Anna with a dry twig.

[IceAge]

19:22
Andris with a vole.

Anna feeds chick1.

20:59
Anna feeds chick1.


21:06
Anna flies away and chick1 pecks chick2.

21:12
Anna comes with a spruce twig.

[IceAge]

June 11.

Good morning,

04:38
Anna flies away and chick1 attacks chick2.

04:49
Anna is back with a spruce twig.


07:57
Andris brings a bird.


07:59
Andris with a dry twig.

[IceAge]

08:00
Anna plucks the bird and starts the feeding.

08:41
Andris with a mole.


09:33
Anna flies away.

I don't comment on what happens in the nest and there are no pictures.

09:38
Anna comes with green twig.

11:22 / 12:22
Anna feeds chick1.

[IceAge]

13:12
Anna flies away.
13:22
Anna is back with a green twig.
13:27
Anna feeds chick1


14:49
feeding chick1

17:16
Anna flies away and chick1 does what it has to do.
17:27
Anna with a spruce twig.

18:32
Anna feeds chick1.

[IceAge]

20.29
Anna feeds chick1.