"Ragged But Ready: Dad2's Molting Journey"

7.24.25

At close range, Dad2's thin, disheveled appearance is evident. Feeding three full-grown eaglets remains demanding work, made even more challenging while undergoing molt. Here is a little bit about the molting process that Mom and Dad2 are undergoing right now.

Mom and Dad2 began molting in the late spring or early summer. All eagles molt after the breeding season in late spring or early summer, which would put the start around June or July in the Northeast region.

The good news for Dad2's flying ability is that his flight feather molt is not simultaneous; rather, matched flight feathers are generally lost at separate times, so thankfully birds are never left flightless.

Instead, eagles in northern regions like Mom and Dad2 typically molt half or fewer of their flight feathers each year, and possibly only 6-7 of their tail feathers. On average, they'll lose about 4-5 primary flight feathers out of 10 on each wing, plus 6-8 secondary feathers out of 16 on each wing.

The molting process is gradual and strategic, so while Mom and Dad2 might not fly quite as efficiently during molting season, they can still hunt and get around just fine as Dad2 has proved to us last night with his aerial combat acrobatics with the osprey. The new feathers grow in to replace the old ones over the course of several months, typically wrapping up by late fall or early winter. This timing works well since it happens after the demanding breeding season when Mom and Dad2 need peak flying performance for raising their eaglets