BABIES
* Eyases weigh 1 1/2 ounce when first hatched.
* Newly hatched, they are wet and covered with a white fuzz called "down"
. By 3 - 5 weeks the fuzz has been replaced by brown feathers.
* Males develop faster than females, females are larger and more powerful
when fully grown.
* In 3 weeks they are 10 times their birth weight; in 6 weeks they are
full grown; and at 9 - 12 weeks they begin to hunt and care for themselves.
* Their first prey is small game ~ dragonflies and butterflies.
* The first few days of learning to fly is dangerous to the young falcons, especially in
urban areas. Wind changes can slam the birds
into the ground and mirrored or illuminated windows are another hazard.
Unfortunately statistics are not on their side, only one out of two manage to survive the first year.
