Built to Hunt and Nest: teacher key

Bald Eagles, grade 8 edition, written for 8th grade. A bald eagle's size, grip and eyes, how it hunts, and how a pair builds a nest, shares the eggs and raises young that grow up in a few years.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What do tendons do in an eagle's legs?
   • Ratchet its toes shut so it can hold on (answer)
   • Help it swim
   • Make its feathers
2. When does nesting start in Florida?
   • February
   • September (answer)
   • January
3. Why does laying eggs about 36 hours apart help?
   • It makes the eggs bigger
   • It lets the pair rest
   • It raises the chance that at least one egg hatches when conditions are best (answer)
4. Which parent sits on the eggs more often?
   • The father
   • The mother (answer)
   • Neither one
5. About what share of eaglets survive their first year, as of November 2026?
   • About 70 percent (answer)
   • About 7 percent
   • All of them
6. What does nestlings mean?
   • Fish hooks
   • Tall trees
   • Chicks in a nest (answer)

Words

• tendons: strong cords
• nestlings: baby birds
• biologists: nature scientists
• perch: a high seat
• suburbs: towns near cities