Five Weeks Old
The first feathers to appear are the rusty-golden pinfeathers on the head and neck. You can see them clearly in these pictures.
Darker body feathers develop slightly later, and primaries, secondaries, and outer feathers of the wings and tail emerge at 20-25 days.
When Jesse looks directly into the camera, you can clearly see the characteristic orange eyes of the juvenile Osprey. The other characteristic of the juvenile Osprey is the expanded white tip of their primary feathers. You can usually use these 2 characteristics to identify a juvenile. They persist for up to one and a half years
Note the raptor’s eyes, are situated on the front of the skull. This is for hunting. By contrast prey species like songbirds have eyes more strategically situated on the sides of their head, making them more aware of attackers.
Even with necks somewhat retracted the chicks are about 15” long now. Just last week they were only 11 1/2” long.
I hope you are enjoying our story.
Best wishes for a nice weekend.