Latest news with #eagles
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Big Bear eagle Gizmo takes first flight from nest in California, joining sister Sunny after weeks of anticipation
Big Bear eagles Jackie and Shadow are officially empty nesters after their second eaglet took flight from the comfort of the nest on Saturday. Around 8:27 a.m., the second eaglet, Gizmo, could be seen on the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam standing on a branch before beginning to flap her wings and soar off into the air. Her first attempt seemed unsuccessful, as she quickly latched back onto a branch, but she tried again successfully a few seconds later. The flight didn't seem to last long. Gizmo quickly disappeared from the main feed provided by Friends of Big Bear Valley, but the Wide Angle Camera showed what appeared to be Gizmo located on another tree moments later. Gizmo, the daughter of Jackie and Shadow and sister of Sunny, took a brief first flight on Saturday morning. Friends of Big Bear Valley She appeared to be very active, moving around the nest quite a bit before finally flying off. A few days ago on Monday, her sister Sunny took her first flight after jumping off a branch. The eaglets who were born in March and are nearly 13 weeks old have been practicing for several days. They could be seen flapping their wings and jumping from one branch to another, getting ready for their big moment. Gizmo took flight at 89 days old, after some "intense wingersizing sessions yesterday on the High Perch," Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote on Facebook. FOBBV Executive Director Sandy Steers told KCAL News on Monday that although it is unclear where Sunny and Gizmo will go, young eagles tend to return to the nest relatively soon after their first flight. "By fall, they will take off on their own. Since they aren't banded, we will have no way to know if they stay together, or for how long," FOBBV posted on Facebook. "Fledge watch" began around May 13, as bald eagles are usually between 10 to 12 weeks old when they prepare to leave the nest. Gizmo and Sunny will remain in the habitat for one to three months after fledging, and FOBBV said they will likely be in and out of the nest during this time. Sunny has continued to visit the nest since her first flight, eating and sleeping at home.
Forbes
17-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
A Biologist Reveals The Biggest Eagle To Have Ever Lived — And Why It Went Extinct In 1445
There are over 60 species of eagles in existence today — some of which are massive by bird standards. The Philippine eagle, for example, has an average weight of 18 pounds and measures over three feet from head to talon. The white-tailed eagle has the one of the largest wingspans, averaging seven feet and two inches. Harpy eagles, Stellar's sea eagles and wedge-tailed eagles are also among the biggest present-day raptors. But to find the biggest known eagle, you'd have to search back to the 1400s, when the behemoth Haast's eagle was still circling the skies of New Zealand. Here's its story, and the reason why it went extinct. Weighing up to 33 pounds and boasting a wingspan of 8 to 10 feet, Haast's eagle (Hieraaetus moorei) was not only the largest eagle to have ever lived, it was also one of the most formidable. Its massive talons were comparable in size to those of a tiger, and its powerful beak could pierce through thick muscle and bone. Unlike many modern raptors that target smaller prey, Haast's eagle hunted on a much larger scale. Its primary target? The moa — a giant flightless bird that could stand up to 12 feet tall and weigh more than 500 pounds. (Sidebar: While extinctions of birds like the moa and Haast's eagle were often unintended consequences of human activity, Australia once launched a deliberate campaign to wipe one out. See here to learn why the government declared war on the emu in 1932 — and lost.) Haast's eagle evolved in isolation on New Zealand, where it reigned as an apex predator in a land with no mammalian carnivores. The island's unique ecosystem, free of natural eagle competitors and with an abundance of slow, ground-dwelling birds, gave Haast's eagle the perfect conditions to grow to the size it did. One of the most fascinating aspects of Haast's eagle's enormous size is what its ancestry reveals. While it was once thought to descend from Australia's largest living eagle, the wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), ancient DNA analysis told a different story. Haast's eagle actually evolved from one of the world's smallest eagles — Australia's little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides), which weighs just two pounds. This dramatic transformation is among the most extreme cases of island gigantism in birds, likely unfolding in under two million years as the eagle adapted to New Zealand's ecosystem. Given its massive size, researchers have long debated whether Haast's eagle was an active predator or more of a scavenger, like vultures and condors. Current evidence favors the predator role — biomechanical studies suggest it could kill prey several times its own weight, striking with explosive force and subduing victims using its powerful talons. Though it hunted like a modern eagle, its feeding behavior likely resembled that of a vulture, tearing into large carcasses with techniques adapted for consuming animals far bigger than itself. But in a land ruled by birds, this delicate ecological balance was not built to last. Even the most powerful predator can be vulnerable to sudden ecological change — and for Haast's eagle, that change came swiftly with the arrival of humans. Around the 13th century, Polynesian seafarers arrived in New Zealand, bringing with them fire, rats, dogs, and eventually the devastating impact of human hunting. The moa, never having known a predator like man, were hunted to extinction in less than two centuries. This was a catastrophic blow for Haast's eagle, whose survival depended almost entirely on moa populations. Without its main food source, the eagle's numbers plummeted. By the mid-1400s, it too had vanished. Interestingly, Haast's eagle played a significant role in early Māori culture. Oral traditions and ancient rock art describe a monstrous bird called the Pouakai or Hokioi — a giant creature capable of killing humans and carrying them away. Given the eagle's size, strength, and hunting behavior, many scientists now believe that these stories were based on real encounters with Haast's eagle before it went extinct. Today, all that remains of this apex raptor are fossilized bones and stories, pieced together by biologists, anthropologists, and paleontologists. Does thinking about the extinction of a species instantly change your mood? Take the Connectedness to Nature Scale to see where you stand on this unique personality dimension.
Asharq Al-Awsat
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Rare New Zealand Snail Filmed for First Time Laying an Egg from its Neck
Farewell Eagles… Hobbit Sculptures Removed from Wellington Airport A sculpture of an eagle from the Hobbit films, ridden by the wizard Gandalf, hangs over the food court area of Wellington Airport, in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay) For more than a decade, a pair of Hobbit-inspired eagle sculptures have cast a watchful eye over visitors at New Zealand's Wellington Airport. But the giant birds will be unfastened from the ceiling on Friday to make way for a new mystery exhibit, airport authorities said. According to BBC, the eagles appear as messengers in JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which were adapted to film by New Zealand's Sir Peter Jackson. The spectacular New Zealand landscapes featured in Jackson's films are a consistent draw for tourists, who are greeted at the airport by the eagle sculptures. 'It's not unusual to see airborne departures from Wellington Airport, but in this case, it will be emotional for us, 'Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said in a statement. The giant eagles will be placed in storage and there have not been long-term plans for them. Each eagle weighs 1.2 tons with a wingspan of 15 meters. Riding on the back of one of the birds is a sculpture of the wizard, Gandalf. Made of polystyrene and with an internal steel skeleton, each eagle has hundreds of feathers, the longest one measuring 2.4 meters. While the iconic eagles will soon be gone, not all is lost for fans of the franchise: Smaug the Magnificent, the dragon in The Hobbit, will continue to be displayed at the check-in area. The eagles were unveiled in 2013, around the time of the release of The Hobbit trilogy. The giant sculptures were produced by Wētā Workshop, the New Zealand-based company that made costumes and props for The Lord of the Rings franchise. 'We're working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique, locally themed replacement to take their place,' Clarke said. 'We'll unveil what's next later this year so keep watching the skies.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Farewell Eagles… Hobbit Sculptures Removed from Wellington Airport
For more than a decade, a pair of Hobbit-inspired eagle sculptures have cast a watchful eye over visitors at New Zealand's Wellington Airport. But the giant birds will be unfastened from the ceiling on Friday to make way for a new mystery exhibit, airport authorities said. According to BBC, the eagles appear as messengers in JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which were adapted to film by New Zealand's Sir Peter Jackson. The spectacular New Zealand landscapes featured in Jackson's films are a consistent draw for tourists, who are greeted at the airport by the eagle sculptures. 'It's not unusual to see airborne departures from Wellington Airport, but in this case, it will be emotional for us, 'Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said in a statement. The giant eagles will be placed in storage and there have not been long-term plans for them. Each eagle weighs 1.2 tons with a wingspan of 15 meters. Riding on the back of one of the birds is a sculpture of the wizard, Gandalf. Made of polystyrene and with an internal steel skeleton, each eagle has hundreds of feathers, the longest one measuring 2.4 meters. While the iconic eagles will soon be gone, not all is lost for fans of the franchise: Smaug the Magnificent, the dragon in The Hobbit, will continue to be displayed at the check-in area. The eagles were unveiled in 2013, around the time of the release of The Hobbit trilogy. The giant sculptures were produced by Wētā Workshop, the New Zealand-based company that made costumes and props for The Lord of the Rings franchise. 'We're working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique, locally themed replacement to take their place,' Clarke said. 'We'll unveil what's next later this year so keep watching the skies.'
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Saquon Barkley claps back at critics amid massive backlash for outing with Trump; ‘Just golfed with Obama…'
Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles' star running back, has responded to the backlash he received following his recent hangout at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spent time with President Donald Trump and his family on Sunday. Meanwhile, many fans and social media followers swiftly become divided over Barkley's encounter with Trump, despite the fact that many may have anticipated an offseason of rest and training. 'Saquon is setting himself up for the ultimate post NFL career. He's gunna be a billionaire after he retires,' one X user reacted. 'This is dirty work, @saquon this really makes me think a whole lot less of you as a person. Thought of him as a great player and person and I'm not an eagles fan. When you choose to spend time with a vile, disgusting, terrible human POS. So disappointing in @saquon,' second user said. 'Wait until MAGA finds out Saquon golfed with Obama a few months ago,' a third person commented. 'Winners hang out with winners. Leaders hang out with leaders. No shock here at all,' one more reacted. Also Read: Donald Trump's 100 days in office: Here's what he's done and not done Taking to X, Barkley addressed the criticism by stating that 'people are really upset" because he played golf and spend time with Trump at the White House. 'Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day' he closed the post with a crying laughing emoji. Reacting to his post, one person wrote: 'Buddy, you're involving yourself with politics by playing golf with the head of politics himself. You place yourself in a situation where you're going to get criticized and this is your response?' 'You know what offends me? That you're spending your time playing putt-putt instead of being in the weight room improving your deficient strength. As a youth football coaching legend, I'd never tolerate this lack of focus,' another chimed in. Later today, Barkley and the other Eagles are scheduled to pay President Trump a visit at the White House as part of a celebration honoring them as the winners of Super Bowl LIX.
