CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Early Thursday morning Noah, a 2-month-old bald eagle, was hanging out on a perch outside the hack tower after the doors were open at sunrise.
Carolina Raptor Center staff made final adjustments to Noah’s tracking device and the hack tower doors were lifted early Thursday morning.
At first Noah stayed inside the hack tower, but at about 8 a.m. she was spreading her wings and she sat on a perch just outside the tower.
Throughout the day Noah spread her wings a lot, but she has yet to take to first flight.
Carolina Raptor Center staff say it could take Noah several hours or even days before she takes her first flight.
Noah’s tracking device will allow Carolina Raptor Center researchers to study her flight patterns over the next five years.
Noah was removed from the hack tower April 17 for the tracking device procedure that took approximately 30 minutes to complete.
The eagle weighed approximately nine and a quarter pounds – compared to a March 27 weight of eight pounds.
Several perches are outside the hack tower and they’re visible from the Hack Tower Cam. WCNC staff moved the camera angle so the perch just on the ledge of the tower is visible.
Noah could come and go for several days, as she knows the tower is a safe place for food.
