Little Arb chick....

Let's talk about feathers! What do the feathers go thru to be prepared for flight? As the new feathers grow in on our young Ospreys, the shaft is full of blood. Therefore they are called " blood feathers!" ( this is true of adults also as they molt and grow new feathers). These growing feathers are very fragile and if broken they can hemorrhage quite profusely. It can require medical care. That is why these nestlings need to be handled so carefully at banding time, approximately five weeks of age. As these youngsters approach fledging age the blood in the feather shaft begins to recede and the shaft begins to harden. On the reintroduction program, one of the indications that a bird was ready to fly was that the feather looked different. We would examine the flight feathers closely to see if the shaft of the feather was beginning to look clear or white rather than engorged with blood. These feathers are referred to as " hard penned".

These stiffened feathers are more able to sustain flight and can withstand the vigorous flapping that is typically observed prior to fledge. There is nothing an osprey can do to prepare the feathers or to promote this physiological stage of development. If we were to look at little Arbs feathers today, they might look a little striped, as the blood in the shaft has dried up and receded. That, along with the muscular strength she is developing, is what is required for her first flight. We are watching for indications that she can get some loft and hover a bit above the nest and come down in a controlled way. I expect her to make her maiden voyage soon!