eyas [ahy-uhs] noun: 1. a nestling, usually a hawk; 2. Falconry. a young falcon or hawk taken from the nest for training.

As noted in previous posts, we have a family of red-tailed hawks nesting next to my office. Today, I got my first glimpse of the chick.

According to The Audubon Society, the female remains with young most of the time during first few weeks. The male brings home most of the food, and mom tears it into small pieces for the young. After about 4-5 weeks, food is dropped in nest, and the young feed on it themselves. Young leave the nest about 6-7 weeks after hatching, but are not capable of strong flight for another 2 weeks or more. Fledglings may remain with parents for several more weeks.