Rita the Bald Eagle

06/12/2026

It's time for Fun Fact Friday! Why are the eagles "nestorizing" in the off season? As we continue to watch the awesome Wildlife Rescue of Dade County Eagle Nest Cam, we've seen that Ron and Rose have been busy bringing in sticks and pine boughs, and doing some nice nestorations, now that R9 and R10 have left the area. Ron has even "tested the bowl" as we know he likes to do! That behavior may be a way of showing Rose that he is a good mate. He's a keeper! He did the same thing with Rita during the off-season after R1 and R2 left the area. Sadly, Rita's injury prevented her from returning for the next season, but we're happy that Ron has continued the R Nest legacy with Rose. Someone asked me if Ron and Rose could possibly lay eggs at this time since they seem to be preparing the nest. I explained that they are not "hormonally" in breeding mode right now, but rather their "nesting" behavior is simply a way to strengthen their bond to each other and their nest. The Florida breeding season runs from October through May, with December and January being the peak laying months. There are some eagles who may lay in November, but most have finished laying eggs well before the end of the season. As timing goes, once a clutch of eggs is laid and incubation fully begins, it takes approximately 5 weeks to hatch, then raising the young takes 10-14 weeks until fledge, and then the juvenile eagle may spend several more months in the area with the parents before finally wandering away. According to renowned Eagle biologist, Dr. Peter Sharpe, “Eagles will generally not lay another clutch if they have incubated for more than about 2 weeks, so there is probably a switch that is triggered by a particular amount of incubating that does not allow them to become fertile again within a season.” Here's a cute clip of Ron "testing the bowl" during Rita's time, and finally the other day with Rose. Yep! He's a keeper! lol I hope you have enjoyed this Fun Fact Friday Post and I thank you for supporting and caring for Rita and her feathered friends at MWBC. If you'd like to make a donation, please follow this link https://marathonwildbirdcenter.org/ and be sure to say what inspired you to donate today! Or donate via VENMO or visit https://www.zeffy.com/.../71c6fd7d-67ef-4cd8-bb7a.... Thank you! JK Music: Naturally (Instrumental) from Clipchamp

06/11/2026

Rita had a great week with visits from Jeanne Kaufman and Terry C.! A delicious sushi dinner, served by college student Stephanie, at our local Isla Bella Beach Resort yielded few leftovers. What wasn’t for people (dumplings, spring rolls and edamame) went to Rita. The individual pieces of sushi were ignored and the garnishes (flowers, seaweed, shredded carrots and a twisted lime) went into a new ice wreath for Rita. It’s 84° so the wreath won’t last very long. Watching ice melt drop by drop must be like watching paint dry! 🦅 We do what we do with DONATIONS from you! 🦅 Donate via VENMO or visit www.marathonwildbirdcenter.org. 🦅

06/08/2026

It's time for Rita's History Monday! Anytime you go outside and encounter wildlife in nature, or watch any of the countless nature programs on TV or YouTube, you may see youngsters engaging in acts of roughhousing or "playtime." From lion cubs, to prairie dogs, to eagles in a nest, when siblings play they are leaning lessons of survival in their respective worlds. Play-fighting is useful for building social skills, bonding, reading body language, establishing boundaries, showing dominance, and building confidence. Who doesn't laugh at the antics of puppies and kittens when they are playing and learning their social skills! I had 2 older brothers and 50 kids in my neighborhood when I was growing up, and the interactions ranged from playful to pesky. In this cute flashback to Life on Rita's Nest, R2 was just sunning herself and minding her own business, when R1 decided it was time to get playful. Or dare I say, "Pesky!" lol It's wonderful to have these video clips from happy days on Rita's Nest with thanks to Wildlife Rescue of Dade County. Rita was well cared for by so many people along her journey from the wild to her beautiful home at Marathon Wild Bird Center, and I am forever grateful to all involved. Thank you for liking and following Rita's Story, and for supporting her life at MWBC. If you'd like to make a donation, please go to https://marathonwildbirdcenter.org/ and be sure to say what inspired you to donate today! Or donate via VENMO or visit https://www.zeffy.com/.../71c6fd7d-67ef-4cd8-bb7a.... They can't do all of the hard work they do without your help! Thank you! JK Music: Midnight Fever from Clipchamp

06/05/2026

It's time for Fun Fact Friday! Last week we were treated to an interesting pose by Ron on the awesome Wildlife Rescue of Dade County Eagle Nest Cam, in which he perched with his wings widely spread out and his feathers raised in what is called a heraldic pose. I've seen the word "heraldic" spelled several ways, like heraltic, horaldic, and horaltic, and have read many articles about the origin and meaning of the word. Heraldry began in the middle ages, c 1000-1300, and refers to the designs that adorned shields, swords, helmets and standards that were carried into battle to help identify a knight or a household. Even before Heraldry began, the use of an eagle as a symbolic figure dates back to biblical times. The eagle can be seen on the Great Seal of the United States, and on our currency, like a quarter. The use of an eagle in a heraldic pose signifies strength, power and nobility. The word "horaltic" has been used to describe the spread wing posture of vultures and other birds, like cormorants, storks, hawks, herons, and eagles where they appear to be "sunbathing" with their wings outstretched. There are several practical reasons for a bird to pose with its wings spread and lifted. It is an effective way for them to dry off wet feathers, and it is a great way to cool down on a hot day. Since they do not have sweat glands, they may be seen panting with their mouth open, and lifting their feathers away from their body to release trapped heat, so they can cool down. Finally, "sunning" themselves is a great way to reduce ectoparacites, like feather mites and bacteria that can negatively affect the feathers. This clip starts with Ron's recent dramatic pose and ends with our beloved Rita and her family showing off their beautiful heraldic/horaltic poses. They really do look powerful and noble. Thank you for your support of Rita and Marathon Wild Bird Center. Kelly and her team rely upon your donations to be able to do all of the hard work they do. If you'd like to make a donation, please go to: https://marathonwildbirdcenter.org/ Or donate via VENMO or visit https://www.zeffy.com/.../71c6fd7d-67ef-4cd8-bb7a.... Thank you! JK Music: Coastal from Clipchamp

06/03/2026

This extremely healthy mature cormorant made a mistake yesterday. I’ve seen it a couple of times over the years. It ate several toxic fish. They were partially digested so I’m not sure which species, but I could tell from what little remaining fish skin I saw that it may have been a scorpion or rock fish. 🤷‍♀️ I suspect the bird suddenly had an upset tummy resulting in a distraction while flying. The result was the bird clipped the top static line (the highest line above the power lines that run parallel to the highway) and then crash landed on US1. Luckily some folks scooped it up before it got hit by a car and dropped it off to us. Pacing in its hospital pen the cormie soon regurgitated the toxic fish. After that, the bird was good to go and ready for release. This morning I took it down to the shoreline of Crane Point. No hesitation to depart hence why I slowed down the video. Bye bye birdie!

06/01/2026

It's time for Rita's History Monday! How much of an eaglet's behavior is instinctual, and how much is learned? Much of the behavior that we see on eagle webcams is instinctual, but some is learned by watching a parent. When an eaglet hatches, it instinctually opens its mouth to be fed. It vocalizes with begging calls and progresses to squealing and mantling to protect its food, and it instinctively flaps its wings as it, naturally, wants to fly. By observing a parent's behavior they learn survival skills. They visually track like a parent and learn vocal cues to distinguish between greeting calls or high-pitched alarm calls. If there is a threat on the nest, an eaglet may react in a few different ways depending on how the parent acts. This clip shows two different reactions by R1 and R2 in response to their parent's behavior to a potential threat. First, Rita is alert, but calmly watching something flying over the nest. Her calm demeanor helps R1 and R2 remain calm, as well, though they track the subject, just in case. Had Rita started hopping around, screeching and calling, and flapping her wings and fluffing up her feathers to intimidate the intruder, her offspring would likely have ducked for cover, or as some say "pancaked" to try to hide from the threat. They were so calm that R2 continued to pick at the fish she was eating because she learned from Rita's reaction that there was no immediate threat. Contrast that with how the eaglets "pancaked" in response to Ron's dramatic defense against a threat to their food. Such is life on an eagle's nest where threats can come in on silent wings. I hope you have enjoyed looking back to Life On Rita's Nest. Summer vacation is a great time for families to visit Marathon Wild Bird Center, located on the grounds of the beautiful Crane Point Hammock and Museum property! They welcome visitors but, remember, MWBC is an independent entity that relies on individual donations, separate from your Crane Point admission. Thank you for your support of Rita and her feathered friends, and please like and share Rita's story so that others can enjoy her learning about her, as well. https://marathonwildbirdcenter.org/ or VENMO or zeffy https://www.zeffy.com/.../71c6fd7d-67ef-4cd8-bb7a.... You are greatly appreciated! JK Music: Charging Up from Clipchamp

05/29/2026

It's time for Fun Fact Friday! I was chatting with WRDC's Rehab Assistant, Shannon Gallagher, yesterday about whether any of our South Florida eagles could have come from the north to breed down here. While we know where Rita hatched, we wondered about the origin of Ron and Rose. I've read that an eagle will generally return to within 100 miles of its natal nest to breed. According to US Fish and Wildlife, South Florida's breeding eagles are residents. Also, while Central and North Florida may have visitors from the north that fly down during the winter, those visitors head back north to breed. We also spoke about whether our South Florida eagles are a sub-species since there are differences between northern and southern eagles, like breeding season, migratory habits and size. Historically, they were thought to be a sub-species. Back when DDT nearly caused their extinction, there were captive breeding programs in many states. I'd previously read that eagles from Alaska and Minnesota were brought to other states, and I just learned that University of Florida also participated with states like Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi, where they took eggs from Florida nests (early, so the parents would produce a second clutch) and they sent those eggs to the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center in Oklahoma to be hatched. Then, those young eaglets were sent to the other states to be raised in hack towers. They ultimately fledged from those towers, and because eagles generally return to breed in the range of the natal nest (hack tower), they began to re-build those populations. Today's consensus, according to US Fish and Wildlife and the National Eagle Center is that, "The total population today represents a mix of any sub-species that existed, and now, it is generally accepted that there is no longer any discernible sub-species of Bald Eagle." Bald eagles are thriving across the U.S. and we can be thankful for those conservation efforts. Here are some examples of hack towers and Rita with R1 and R2. Thank you for your support of Rita at the Marathon Wild Bird Center. If you'd like to make a donation, please go to: https://marathonwildbirdcenter.org/ Or donate via VENMO or visit https://www.zeffy.com/.../71c6fd7d-67ef-4cd8-bb7a.... They can't do all of the hard work they do without your help. Thank you! JK Music: Wings from Clipchamp

05/25/2026

It's time for Rita's History Monday! The Bald Eagle symbolizes freedom, strength and resiliency, and it's image is worthy to be our United States National Emblem. Memorial Day is a day to remember those who bravely served our country, and paid the ultimate price defending our freedom. Whether in the armed forces, or as first responders, we owe a debt of gratitude to the brave souls who made that incredible commitment. While many celebrate with family and friends at festive holiday BBQs, it's important to pause for a moment to reflect on the true meaning of the day. I'm very grateful for the sacrifice of our fallen heroes. Beautiful Rita showed such bravery and resilience in the face of adversity, and she continues to shine as an ambassador for her species, and she's a wonderful representative to mark this meaningful day. I thank you for following along and sharing her story. If you would like to help support Rita and Marathon Wild Bird Center, please go to: https://marathonwildbirdcenter.org/ and be sure to say what inspired you to donate today! Or donate via VENMO or go to https://www.zeffy.com/.../71c6fd7d-67ef-4cd8-bb7a.... Your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you! JK Music: Sunshine and Love from Clipchamp

05/22/2026

It's time for Fun Fact Friday! What is the Supraorbital Ridge? The supraorbital ridge (aka eyebrow) is a bony ridge that extends out above a raptor's eyes far enough that it acts as a sunshade, much like the visor on a baseball cap. This ridge also helps to keep debris from getting in the eyes and causing damage. When they are flying, the eagle's brow keeps the glare of the sun out of their eyes, so they can see their prey down below. Eagles and hawks have these protruding ridges, but owls and osprey do not. A golden eagle has a much more prominent ridge than a bald eagle due to differences in habitat, hunting styles and types of prey. A large ridge on a bird like a peregrine falcon would affect the aerodynamics of their fast flying speed, so their ridge is much smaller. In order to keep the glare of the sun out of the falcon's eyes, they have a line of black feathers (aka malar stripe) under the eye which absorbs the sunlight. Baseball and football players use that same concept by painting black grease under their eyes. The shape and size of the supraorbital ridge gives the eagle that fierce look that we know, and love. This clip starts with some photos of skull reproductions from the Bone Clones website comparing the raptors, and ends with photos of sweet Rita, looking both beautiful and fierce at the same time. Thank you for liking and following Rita's FB page and for helping to support her and the Marathon Wild Bird Center. The work they do is incredibly valuable, but they can't do it without the community's donations. Please help by going to: https://marathonwildbirdcenter.org/ and be sure to say what inspired you to donate today! Or donate via VENMO or visit https://www.zeffy.com/.../71c6fd7d-67ef-4cd8-bb7a.... You are greatly appreciated! Thank you! JK Music: Sunny Afternoon from Clipchamp

05/20/2026