Eagles and Eaglets Bald eagles are birds. The baby birds, or offspring are called eaglets. Let's read about how eaglets are like their parents. It's Nesting Time. All birds lay eggs. Bald eagles build their nests in the tops of trees so the eggs will be safe. Their nests are built of sticks and grass. They add on to their nests each year. They can become huge! These giant nests can be as large as nine feet across. That's bigger than your bed! The mother eagle lays from one to three eggs. She sits on her eggs until they hatch. Then both parents watch over the nest. Proud Parents. At first the eaglets are helpless. They cannot walk. They need their parents for food. They also cannot see well. Birds are not mammals. They do not have milk to feed their young. They hunt for food. Eaglets also need their parents for safety. Eaglets Grow Up. Bald eagles use their sharp eyes to hunt. They use their strong wings to fly fast. They also use their claws and beak to catch fish. Young eaglets must learn all these things. Then they can live on their own. Unlike mammals, birds have feathers, not fur. An eaglet is born covered with soft gray down. It cannot fly until it grows dark feathers like its parents. The eaglet stays near the nest until its wings grow strong. That takes about five months. An eaglet becomes an adult when it has learned to do all the things its parents do. This takes about five years. Bald eagles can stay alive for up to thirty years.Bald Eagles Soar. Once it learns to fly, the bald eagle can soar for hours. The bald eagle must take good care of its feathers. It uses its beak to groom itself. It must keep its feathers clean. Can you believe this powerful eagle began life as a helpless baby?