Nestlings
When Bald Eagle chicks first hatch, they are covered in light colored down feathers. At this age, they are completely dependent on their parents for food and warmth. Both the female and the male eagle will bring prey back to the nest and carefully rip off small portions for the nestlings to eat. When the nestlings aren't being fed, one of the parents usually settles gently over the chicks to keep them warm.

By the time the chicks are about 3 weeks old, they have gray colored down feathers covering their body. This gray down is much thicker than the light colored one that they first had at hatching. The chicks still rely on their parents to feed them and keep them warm in poor weather, but by now they are spending longer periods of time alone on the nest.

In the weeks that follow, the young eagles start to grow flight feathers. By the time they fledge, or first fly from the nest, they will have dark feathers all over their body (it is not until they're around 5 years old that they have the characteristic white feathers on their head and tail). Also during this time, the chicks are getting stronger and are moving around the nest more and more. By six weeks of age, they can even begin to feed themselves. The parents spend even less time on the nest now but still regularly provide food for the chicks and protect the area around the nest from predators.

By the time the chicks are about 12 weeks old, they're ready to fly! Jumps from branch to branch in the nest tree have helped strengthen them enough for their first flight. We don't know for sure, but young Bald Eagles don't seem to venture too far from the nest right away. Their parents probably still help protect them and feed them for a little while longer.