It is with great excitement that Zoo Miami, in collaboration with Wildlife Rescue of Dade County, announces that after an incubation period of 37 days, the wild pair of bald eagles, named “Rita” and “Ron,” have successfully hatched their first egg!!!  What an amazing way to bring in the New Year!!!

For over two months, Rita and Ron have worked together to build a new nest on an artificial platform constructed through the combined efforts of Lloyd Brown from Wildlife Rescue of Dade County and Ron Magill from the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment at the Zoo Miami Foundation.  The platform was constructed to provide a more stable foundation after the pair had their original nest at that location destroyed during a storm. 

It is with great pride that Zoo Miami officially announces the hatching of an endangered Harpy Eagle! Here are several images that Ron Magill was extremely fortunate to capture friday morning (after patiently waiting over 3 ½ hours for the mother to allow him a view!) of the chick being fed by its mother. In addition, we’ve included two images that Ron was able to take of the chick when it was only 9 days old so you can see how much it has grown in 3 weeks.

Photo credits: Ron Magill / Zoo Miami

The Philippine Eagle Foundation announced a first in its conservation breeding program. They successfully hatched a Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle chick on April 2 at their conservation breeding facility after an incubation period of 48 days. The chick is the first Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri) bred and hatched in captivity. It came from a natural pair of parents and weighed a mere 57.2 grams when it hatched.

Once it reaches adulthood, this medium-sized eagle will look like the third picture below. It will have a light brown body with a brown, black and white belly and a dark brown tail striped with four to five darker, narrow bands. Its head and under parts will be reddish-brown with black streaks, while the throat will be white. And its wings will become broad and rounded.

The Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle, endemic to the Philippines, is a species of bird of prey in the Acciptridae family. It is considered threatened because of the loss of its natural habitat - the subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. PEF Executive Director Dennis Salvador said, “The fast diminishing forests and destruction of their habitats are still the biggest threats to their survival. We need everyone’s contribution to ensure that the Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle population will increase, especially in the wild."

Photo Credits: Philippine Eagle Foundation

Read more about the eagle and PEF's conservation efforts after the jump:

The CIncinnati Zoo welcomed a Eurasian Eagle owl chick four weeks ago. Named Caspian, the young Owl could grow to have a wingspan on six feet from tip to tip! Wild Eurasian Eagle Owls are found across Europe, Asia and even in parts of Northern Africa. Their diet consists largely of small mammals, but full grown Eagle owls can prey on larger animals like foxes, and young deer. The Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) is one of the largest owl species in the world.

Photo credits: Connie Lemperle

Last month the Miami Metrozoo became the second zoo in the United States ever to breed a rare Harpy Eagle. Since baby eagle mortality rates are high, the zoo waited until this week to announce the birth, but happily the baby eagle is in great shape. The chick's gender is unknown as zoo staff cannot get too close. When keepers approach the chick "the mother gets very defensive, opens her wings and covers the chick right away. Then she starts squealing … wheeee wheeee wheee. And when a bird has talons the size of a grizzly bear's paw, you pay attention," explained the zoo spokesman. 

Photo credits: Ron Magill / Miami Metrozoo