Plumage that evolves

Juveniles have plumage different from that of adults: they are darker, particularly on the head, and are speckled with light. The tail is mostly dark, the beak is black and the iris is quite dark. In sub-adults, the tail has a dark band, before turning white. The PAL will only find its adult plumage characteristic of the species at the age of 5-6 years, when it will be sexually mature.
The eaglet goes through five to six different plumages, the latter of which can help determine the stage of development of the young. Age estimation is possible up to and including the 4th plumage, but there are individual plumage variations between two birds of the same age, which can complicate the estimation!

News from our eaglet Le PAL

After DNA analysis, the eaglet Le PAL turns out to be a female! Indeed, the sexing of chicks is complicated, a genetic analysis of a few feathers sent to the laboratory makes it possible to obtain a reliable result.
The PAL stood on its feet at 32 days after hatching. A first step towards independence!