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[dramatic music plays]
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[squawking]
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[dramatic music continues]
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[Anthony Mackie] Rulers of the sky.
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[dramatic music continues]
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Symbols of freedom.
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Unrivaled hunters.
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[dramatic music continues]
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We think of birds of prey
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as ruthless killers.
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[squawking]
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But there's another side to their story.
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[chirping]
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Unexpectedly smart.
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Surprisingly adaptable.
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[sirens wail]
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And more caring
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than you ever imagined.
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[dramatic music continues]
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[tranquil music plays]
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Deep winter.
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This female bald eagle
is having contractions.
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[bird chirps]
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Her eggs take 35 days to hatch.
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[chirping]
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To be ready for spring…
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[chirping]
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…she has to lay now.
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[chirping]
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But at this time of year,
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the weather can quickly turn.
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[tranquil music plays]
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Exposed, her eggs would freeze in minutes.
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But bald eagles are tough.
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She'll do whatever it takes
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to protect them.
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[tranquil music plays]
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[chirping]
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And it's not just Mom.
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[chirping]
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[tranquil music continues]
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Her lifelong mate.
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A pair devoted to raising
the next generation of aerial hunters.
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[tranquil music continues]
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[tranquil music fades]
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Around the planet,
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there are over 300 kinds of birds of prey.
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From the biggest in the world,
with a nine-foot wingspan,
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to the smallest,
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no bigger than a butterfly.
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Wherever they live,
they control the skies.
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[dramatic music plays]
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From dense jungles
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to the frozen Arctic.
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Arid deserts…
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to towering mountains.
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All of them are meat eaters
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equipped with the same weaponry.
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[dramatic music continues]
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It's what and how they hunt
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that's created such an amazing cast
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of aerial assassins.
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No open flight lines
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and too many places to hide
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make hunting almost impossible
for a raptor.
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-Unless it's the woodland master.
-[bird screeches]
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[air rushing]
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The goshawk.
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[screeching]
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[tense music plays]
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Armed with all the tools of the trade.
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Acute binocular vision,
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a sharp, hooked beak
for ripping into flesh,
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and large, curved talons
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for grasping prey.
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[tense music continues]
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That's standard issue.
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What makes her exceptional
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is how she chases down her prey.
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[screeching]
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In a few wingbeats,
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she hits 32 miles per hour…
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the fastest acceleration
of almost any raptor.
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[tense music plays]
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Using her tail as an air brake,
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she turns on a dime.
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[chirping]
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Shortened wings
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contort to the smallest gap.
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She needs to hit her target
before it reaches cover.
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[chirping]
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[tense music plays]
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Hugging the terrain conceals her approach.
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[tense music continues]
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And if it doesn't work the first time…
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goshawks are not just agile.
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They're patient too.
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[tense music plays]
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[tense music fades]
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[tense music crescendos]
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[squealing]
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Found in woodlands
across the northern hemisphere,
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the goshawk's success
is down to its amazing agility.
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But when it comes to pure speed…
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another raptor
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is unbeatable.
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The fastest animal on Earth.
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The peregrine falcon.
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[dramatic music plays]
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Top speed over 240 miles an hour
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in a stoop.
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Peregrines are so successful,
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they're found all around the world.
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[squawking]
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Cliffs are their favorite habitat.
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They provide a vantage point
to scope for food.
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[tense music plays]
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And create updrafts
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that peregrines use to gain height
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before they strike from above.
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-[tense music crescendos]
-[birds thud]
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[squawking]
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The success of most birds of prey
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depends on a mastery of flight.
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But there's always one
that bucks the trend.
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[jaunty music plays]
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Meet the secretary bird.
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Not your typical bird of prey.
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[jaunty music continues]
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She's a raptor
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on stilts.
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About the height
of a seven-year-old child.
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[jaunty music continues]
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And while she can fly,
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she'd rather go by foot.
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Up to 18 miles a day.
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[jaunty music continues]
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Those long legs aren't just for walking.
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They help see into the tall grass.
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[jaunty music fades]
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They look a little ungainly…
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but don't be fooled.
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[suspenseful music crescendos]
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[thudding]
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That kick is lethal…
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unleashing 44 pounds of force
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faster than a blink of an eye.
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And she needs to move fast.
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This living velociraptor
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is also a mom.
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Two chicks, almost fully grown.
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Always hungry.
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Parenting duties
are also stepping up a gear
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at the bald eagle nest.
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[tranquil music plays]
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[chirps]
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As soon as the snow's melted,
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the magical moment arrives.
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Two chicks, freshly hatched.
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[chirping]
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[tranquil music continues]
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[rain pitter-patters]
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In any weather…
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[thunder rumbles]
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…at any time…
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Mom protects them the best she can.
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But with those talons,
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she must tread carefully.
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Both adults take turns brooding
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and fetching food.
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Tag-team parenting gives their young
the best possible start.
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[chirping]
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Four days later,
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the last egg hatches.
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The oldest chick
is already twice its weight.
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Unless the parents can provide
an exceptional amount of food,
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the smallest sibling won't last long.
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[chirping]
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Birds of prey
are most vulnerable in the nest.
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{\an8}Chicks would soon perish
in this baking desert…
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unless they have shelter from the sun.
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Sociable weavers
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build huge communal nests.
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Inside, it's up to nine degrees cooler.
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The weavers aren't
the only ones who benefit.
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Their nest has attracted
a pair of pygmy falcons.
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Among the smallest raptors on Earth,
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these unlikely squatters
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take advantage of the weavers' hard work.
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[jaunty music plays]
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Sometimes,
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they even eat them.
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[jaunty music continues]
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But when it comes to neighbors from hell,
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weaver birds have even bigger problems.
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This hive of life
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attracts all sorts of predators.
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[suspenseful music plays]
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00:15:17,209 --> 00:15:19,544
The weavers appear defenseless,
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but they have a security force…
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[suspenseful music continues]
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…ready to fend off any attack.
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[suspenseful music continues]
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[squawking]
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[squawking]
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00:15:43,944 --> 00:15:46,279
[suspenseful music continues]
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Only the size of your fist,
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but the falcons pack a punch.
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[suspenseful music continues]
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[suspenseful music stops]
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[chirping]
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00:16:19,563 --> 00:16:20,814
And thankfully,
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these fierce little fighters
show some restraint.
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They only take a few weavers each season.
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00:16:29,823 --> 00:16:33,452
Most of the time,
there's plenty of other prey around.
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00:16:38,290 --> 00:16:42,502
For the weavers, it's a case
of "better the devil you know."
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00:16:44,004 --> 00:16:45,964
And for the little falcons,
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it's a one-stop solution
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00:16:47,674 --> 00:16:51,136
to finding food and shelter
in the barren desert.
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[tranquil music plays]
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00:17:12,491 --> 00:17:14,826
In this remote corner of South America…
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00:17:17,245 --> 00:17:18,997
life is so abundant,
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every creature needs its niche.
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00:17:23,335 --> 00:17:25,128
[tranquil music continues]
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00:17:35,097 --> 00:17:37,641
-[screeching]
-[squeaking]
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00:17:38,767 --> 00:17:43,647
Perching at the top of the food chain,
the 15-pound harpy eagle.
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00:17:46,775 --> 00:17:48,735
But another bird of prey here
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00:17:48,819 --> 00:17:51,613
does things a little differently.
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[cawing]
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00:17:54,991 --> 00:17:57,369
The red-throated caracara.
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[birds caw]
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00:18:01,081 --> 00:18:03,375
When caracaras sense a threat,
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00:18:04,626 --> 00:18:06,419
they let everybody know.
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00:18:06,503 --> 00:18:10,966
[cawing continues]
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00:18:11,049 --> 00:18:12,801
It's enough to put the top predator
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00:18:13,510 --> 00:18:14,511
off its game.
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[caws]
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00:18:24,354 --> 00:18:26,398
[distant cawing]
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00:18:26,481 --> 00:18:30,986
Caracaras are considered the world's
most social and most intelligent raptors.
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00:18:31,570 --> 00:18:33,113
[cawing]
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00:18:33,196 --> 00:18:36,366
A winning combination
that means they can tackle prey
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even a harpy wouldn't touch.
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00:18:47,961 --> 00:18:48,879
Wasps.
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00:18:49,838 --> 00:18:51,840
[suspenseful music plays]
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00:18:54,050 --> 00:18:56,178
Usually best left alone.
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[suspenseful music continues]
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00:19:02,642 --> 00:19:04,186
But working together,
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00:19:05,437 --> 00:19:07,731
the caracaras figure out a plan.
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00:19:09,107 --> 00:19:11,943
[cawing]
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00:19:13,987 --> 00:19:16,156
First, the direct approach.
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00:19:16,239 --> 00:19:18,241
[suspenseful music continues]
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00:19:20,535 --> 00:19:24,289
[wasps buzz]
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00:19:24,372 --> 00:19:26,166
But once the nest is stirred…
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00:19:26,249 --> 00:19:27,667
-[cawing]
-[buzzing]
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00:19:27,751 --> 00:19:30,670
…those little stingers get everywhere.
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00:19:33,590 --> 00:19:34,466
[wasp buzzes]
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00:19:36,051 --> 00:19:38,511
Next, a smash-and-grab.
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[suspenseful music continues]
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00:19:43,350 --> 00:19:45,143
It takes guts to pull it off.
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[wasps buzz]
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00:19:52,859 --> 00:19:54,486
But a little courage
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gets the job done.
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00:19:59,032 --> 00:20:00,033
[caracara caws]
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00:20:02,202 --> 00:20:04,579
If one caracara can take the pain,
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00:20:05,413 --> 00:20:08,917
eventually the wasps abandon the nest.
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00:20:10,502 --> 00:20:11,628
[wasp buzzes]
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00:20:12,712 --> 00:20:14,673
[wasp buzzes]
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00:20:17,926 --> 00:20:22,305
These paper-like constructions
are as nutritious as cardboard…
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00:20:26,434 --> 00:20:28,103
but hidden away in the combs
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00:20:28,895 --> 00:20:31,356
are plump, juicy grubs.
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00:20:37,737 --> 00:20:41,199
One caracara's bravery
benefits the whole team.
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00:20:44,911 --> 00:20:48,873
Once she's taken her fill,
the rest share the spoils.
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00:20:54,629 --> 00:20:56,214
Served up just in time.
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00:20:56,715 --> 00:20:59,592
[thunder rumbles]
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00:21:00,427 --> 00:21:02,929
[rain pitter-patters]
276
00:21:03,888 --> 00:21:06,266
Life in the rain forest is tough.
277
00:21:08,268 --> 00:21:10,895
[distant cawing]
278
00:21:10,979 --> 00:21:12,981
But caracaras keep ahead of the game
279
00:21:14,149 --> 00:21:16,693
thanks to tenacity and teamwork.
280
00:21:23,658 --> 00:21:26,745
Most birds of prey aren't so cooperative.
281
00:21:26,828 --> 00:21:30,957
[birds twittering]
282
00:21:33,626 --> 00:21:37,005
Even in the nest, competition is fierce.
283
00:21:37,088 --> 00:21:39,090
[tranquil music plays]
284
00:21:41,426 --> 00:21:45,805
New bald eagle chicks
can grow 20% bigger each day.
285
00:21:45,889 --> 00:21:47,891
[tranquil music continues]
286
00:21:52,729 --> 00:21:55,732
But the youngest is struggling to keep up.
287
00:21:57,108 --> 00:21:59,277
[chirping]
288
00:22:00,487 --> 00:22:01,696
Every feeding time,
289
00:22:02,822 --> 00:22:04,783
he's at the back of the line.
290
00:22:08,078 --> 00:22:10,622
[chirping]
291
00:22:11,373 --> 00:22:13,291
In a little over two months,
292
00:22:13,375 --> 00:22:16,127
these chicks need to be ten times larger
293
00:22:16,211 --> 00:22:17,587
and ready to fly.
294
00:22:17,670 --> 00:22:20,924
[chirping]
295
00:22:21,007 --> 00:22:22,592
But if there's not enough food,
296
00:22:23,093 --> 00:22:26,596
older eaglets will turn on
their smaller siblings.
297
00:22:26,679 --> 00:22:29,516
[chirping]
298
00:22:29,599 --> 00:22:31,851
It's rare for three chicks to survive.
299
00:22:37,357 --> 00:22:39,692
The parents are working hard
300
00:22:39,776 --> 00:22:42,612
to keep all of their young alive.
301
00:22:43,738 --> 00:22:48,368
[chirping]
302
00:22:50,954 --> 00:22:55,542
Finding enough food is
a constant struggle for all birds of prey.
303
00:22:58,878 --> 00:23:01,464
Though some make it seem effortless.
304
00:23:02,507 --> 00:23:04,509
[tranquil music plays]
305
00:23:11,891 --> 00:23:13,726
Vultures use thermals,
306
00:23:15,186 --> 00:23:17,063
columns of rising warm air,
307
00:23:17,147 --> 00:23:18,648
to gain altitude.
308
00:23:19,691 --> 00:23:21,943
[tranquil music continues]
309
00:23:22,026 --> 00:23:25,905
Once high enough, some soar over 100 miles
310
00:23:25,989 --> 00:23:28,533
without a single beat of their wings.
311
00:23:28,616 --> 00:23:30,618
[tranquil music continues]
312
00:23:33,913 --> 00:23:35,165
Along the way,
313
00:23:35,248 --> 00:23:38,501
they use their telescopic vision
to scan for food.
314
00:23:39,127 --> 00:23:41,129
[tranquil music continues]
315
00:23:48,386 --> 00:23:50,638
Vultures are scavengers.
316
00:23:51,556 --> 00:23:53,558
[tranquil music continues]
317
00:24:00,273 --> 00:24:03,234
Feasting on the dead
has given them a bad name,
318
00:24:03,318 --> 00:24:05,904
but they're the only birds of prey
319
00:24:05,987 --> 00:24:07,197
that never kill.
320
00:24:10,950 --> 00:24:14,621
And they do essential work
as nature's cleanup crew.
321
00:24:20,502 --> 00:24:22,045
It may look chaotic,
322
00:24:22,128 --> 00:24:23,796
but there's a pecking order.
323
00:24:25,423 --> 00:24:29,719
Nine different species of vulture
live in Southern Africa alone,
324
00:24:30,512 --> 00:24:32,722
and each has its own role.
325
00:24:34,349 --> 00:24:36,518
First, the middleweights.
326
00:24:37,185 --> 00:24:38,645
White-backed vultures.
327
00:24:41,856 --> 00:24:45,443
[squawking]
328
00:24:46,694 --> 00:24:49,864
In large numbers,
they devour the bulk of the carcass,
329
00:24:51,241 --> 00:24:53,493
the internal organs, and flesh.
330
00:24:54,035 --> 00:24:56,663
[squawking]
331
00:25:02,043 --> 00:25:04,087
Next, the heavyweights.
332
00:25:05,838 --> 00:25:07,674
At over 15 pounds,
333
00:25:07,757 --> 00:25:11,302
lappet-faced vultures
are one of the biggest in Africa.
334
00:25:13,638 --> 00:25:15,181
When they move in,
335
00:25:15,265 --> 00:25:16,933
everyone steps aside.
336
00:25:17,433 --> 00:25:19,477
[squawking]
337
00:25:20,979 --> 00:25:24,232
Their powerful beaks
rip through ligaments and hide,
338
00:25:25,650 --> 00:25:28,611
opening up new parts of the carcass
339
00:25:28,695 --> 00:25:30,196
for the last in line.
340
00:25:32,407 --> 00:25:33,575
The lightweights.
341
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,746
Hooded vultures stick to the sidelines,
342
00:25:39,414 --> 00:25:41,082
stealing scraps where they can,
343
00:25:41,791 --> 00:25:43,501
patiently waiting their turn.
344
00:25:47,005 --> 00:25:48,506
Once everyone else is done,
345
00:25:49,591 --> 00:25:52,510
their small beaks pick the bones bare.
346
00:25:53,469 --> 00:25:55,763
[tranquil music plays]
347
00:25:55,847 --> 00:25:59,559
Vultures do the dirty work
in keeping our planet clean.
348
00:26:03,855 --> 00:26:06,608
Stomachs as acidic as car batteries
349
00:26:06,691 --> 00:26:10,069
destroy any bacteria and viruses they eat.
350
00:26:11,821 --> 00:26:14,657
And they deny disease-spreading insects
351
00:26:14,741 --> 00:26:16,075
a place to breed.
352
00:26:16,159 --> 00:26:18,161
[tranquil music continues]
353
00:26:21,539 --> 00:26:23,374
[tranquil music fades]
354
00:26:23,458 --> 00:26:24,834
We need vultures,
355
00:26:26,294 --> 00:26:27,962
but their numbers are plummeting.
356
00:26:29,255 --> 00:26:31,299
In just 15 years,
357
00:26:31,382 --> 00:26:34,969
97% of India's vultures were killed,
358
00:26:36,638 --> 00:26:39,766
poisoned by feeding
on the carcasses of cattle
359
00:26:39,849 --> 00:26:42,852
treated with a drug called Diclofenac.
360
00:26:43,603 --> 00:26:45,438
[melancholy music plays]
361
00:26:45,521 --> 00:26:48,566
When feral dogs
took their place as scavengers,
362
00:26:48,650 --> 00:26:50,777
it led to a rise in rabies,
363
00:26:50,860 --> 00:26:53,237
TB, and anthrax.
364
00:26:53,321 --> 00:26:55,198
[melancholy music continues]
365
00:26:55,907 --> 00:26:58,576
Other raptors have suffered
a similar fate.
366
00:27:01,037 --> 00:27:02,288
In the 1950s,
367
00:27:02,372 --> 00:27:05,291
DDT was a freely used insecticide.
368
00:27:06,292 --> 00:27:09,879
But it had a devastating effect
on bald eagles' eggs
369
00:27:10,672 --> 00:27:13,925
and nearly wiped out this iconic species.
370
00:27:14,008 --> 00:27:15,802
[melancholy music continues]
371
00:27:16,552 --> 00:27:20,932
Once people realized its impact,
DDT was banned.
372
00:27:22,308 --> 00:27:23,893
Within 50 years,
373
00:27:23,976 --> 00:27:27,188
bald eagle numbers increased sevenfold.
374
00:27:27,271 --> 00:27:29,273
[melancholy music continues]
375
00:27:32,402 --> 00:27:35,279
Many birds of prey
are still under pressure.
376
00:27:39,283 --> 00:27:42,161
Seen as a threat to livestock and game,
377
00:27:42,245 --> 00:27:43,705
they are persecuted.
378
00:27:45,623 --> 00:27:47,375
And when habitat is destroyed,
379
00:27:49,293 --> 00:27:51,045
they lose food and shelter.
380
00:27:54,507 --> 00:27:57,677
But not all are faring so badly
in the modern world.
381
00:28:00,138 --> 00:28:06,936
[sirens wailing]
382
00:28:09,981 --> 00:28:13,234
This might look like
the last place a raptor would thrive…
383
00:28:13,317 --> 00:28:15,445
[tense music plays]
384
00:28:18,156 --> 00:28:20,074
…but for those that can adapt,
385
00:28:21,033 --> 00:28:23,286
it's a world of opportunity.
386
00:28:23,369 --> 00:28:25,371
[tense music continues]
387
00:28:28,708 --> 00:28:29,959
In the heart of the city,
388
00:28:30,793 --> 00:28:36,799
Battersea Power Station's iconic chimneys
stand over 300 feet high.
389
00:28:39,469 --> 00:28:42,722
They're home
to a pair of peregrine falcons.
390
00:28:43,222 --> 00:28:45,224
[tense music continues]
391
00:28:46,476 --> 00:28:49,228
They use the concrete walls like cliffs.
392
00:28:51,439 --> 00:28:53,441
[tense music continues]
393
00:28:55,610 --> 00:28:57,779
City life has its advantages.
394
00:28:57,862 --> 00:28:59,864
[tense music continues]
395
00:29:03,576 --> 00:29:05,286
There's so much light here,
396
00:29:05,369 --> 00:29:07,997
the peregrines can hunt at night.
397
00:29:09,457 --> 00:29:11,459
[tense music continues]
398
00:29:17,965 --> 00:29:21,302
The pair splits up to cover more ground.
399
00:29:21,385 --> 00:29:23,095
[tense music continues]
400
00:29:29,143 --> 00:29:31,896
The female falcon is the bigger,
401
00:29:31,979 --> 00:29:34,440
more experienced nocturnal hunter.
402
00:29:41,405 --> 00:29:43,324
[tense music fades]
403
00:29:45,201 --> 00:29:47,995
Her vision is more than
twice as sharp as ours,
404
00:29:49,205 --> 00:29:51,207
thanks to eyes so large
405
00:29:51,999 --> 00:29:53,876
they touch inside her skull.
406
00:29:54,377 --> 00:29:56,337
[tense music plays]
407
00:29:56,420 --> 00:29:59,549
By bobbing her head,
she triangulates her target.
408
00:30:01,801 --> 00:30:03,886
But pursuing pigeons in the city
409
00:30:03,970 --> 00:30:05,221
has risks.
410
00:30:09,183 --> 00:30:11,894
This many buildings
make it dangerous to stoop.
411
00:30:11,978 --> 00:30:13,980
[tense music continues]
412
00:30:16,607 --> 00:30:20,528
It forces urban peregrines
to hunt the hard way.
413
00:30:21,153 --> 00:30:23,155
[tense music continues]
414
00:30:31,873 --> 00:30:33,124
The level chase…
415
00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,630
where predator and prey
are more evenly matched.
416
00:30:40,631 --> 00:30:42,633
[tense music continues]
417
00:30:47,013 --> 00:30:48,681
But even without stooping,
418
00:30:50,433 --> 00:30:51,851
even at night…
419
00:30:56,814 --> 00:31:00,151
nature's top gun is rarely outmaneuvered.
420
00:31:01,903 --> 00:31:06,616
[squawking]
421
00:31:08,492 --> 00:31:12,371
Peregrine falcons have spread
to cities around the world,
422
00:31:13,331 --> 00:31:15,166
from New York to Sydney.
423
00:31:17,293 --> 00:31:21,130
And with every breeding season,
their numbers continue to rise.
424
00:31:25,468 --> 00:31:29,722
[chirping]
425
00:31:31,349 --> 00:31:33,059
At the bald eagle nest,
426
00:31:34,310 --> 00:31:35,937
the chicks have come a long way.
427
00:31:37,563 --> 00:31:39,106
All three of them.
428
00:31:39,190 --> 00:31:40,107
[chirping]
429
00:31:40,191 --> 00:31:41,943
All growing strong.
430
00:31:44,445 --> 00:31:47,949
And finally developing
their flight feathers.
431
00:31:50,159 --> 00:31:54,163
The chicks' survival
is a testament to Mom and Dad.
432
00:31:54,246 --> 00:31:56,082
[uplifting music plays]
433
00:31:56,165 --> 00:31:59,085
They've worked tirelessly for six months.
434
00:32:01,045 --> 00:32:03,047
[squawking]
435
00:32:03,130 --> 00:32:05,216
But now they're bringing in less food…
436
00:32:07,551 --> 00:32:08,886
hinting to the eaglets
437
00:32:09,637 --> 00:32:11,389
it's time to fly the nest.
438
00:32:11,472 --> 00:32:13,599
[uplifting music continues]
439
00:32:15,977 --> 00:32:18,396
The art of flying takes practice.
440
00:32:20,272 --> 00:32:22,274
[uplifting music continues]
441
00:32:27,780 --> 00:32:29,407
And conditions have to be right.
442
00:32:30,116 --> 00:32:32,326
[thunder rumbles]
443
00:32:34,245 --> 00:32:37,957
Once the weather clears,
they're more determined than ever.
444
00:32:38,624 --> 00:32:40,626
[uplifting music continues]
445
00:32:45,923 --> 00:32:47,591
[uplifting music crescendos]
446
00:32:49,719 --> 00:32:52,680
But the outside world
is new and confusing.
447
00:32:52,763 --> 00:32:54,056
[tense music plays]
448
00:33:02,815 --> 00:33:05,651
Other birds are hostile towards predators.
449
00:33:08,863 --> 00:33:11,073
It's scary to venture far from family.
450
00:33:14,452 --> 00:33:15,578
And it takes time
451
00:33:17,496 --> 00:33:18,622
to find your feet.
452
00:33:18,706 --> 00:33:19,957
[tense music fades]
453
00:33:20,041 --> 00:33:22,585
[squawking]
454
00:33:22,668 --> 00:33:27,006
This is just the beginning
of the long journey to adulthood.
455
00:33:27,089 --> 00:33:29,091
[uplifting music plays]
456
00:33:34,847 --> 00:33:35,973
Thankfully,
457
00:33:36,057 --> 00:33:38,768
Mom and Dad
will watch over them for a while.
458
00:33:38,851 --> 00:33:40,853
[uplifting music continues]
459
00:33:44,315 --> 00:33:48,069
Birds of prey aren't natural-born killers.
460
00:33:50,821 --> 00:33:53,532
They need time to perfect their skills.
461
00:33:53,616 --> 00:33:55,618
[tense music plays]
462
00:33:57,661 --> 00:34:00,748
For three months,
the secretary bird chicks
463
00:34:00,831 --> 00:34:04,168
have had everything
provided by their parents.
464
00:34:07,004 --> 00:34:10,424
Now they must start
fending for themselves.
465
00:34:10,508 --> 00:34:12,510
[tense music continues]
466
00:34:15,429 --> 00:34:17,765
One chick leads the charge.
467
00:34:22,019 --> 00:34:23,604
When its sibling follows,
468
00:34:25,397 --> 00:34:26,524
the hunt is on.
469
00:34:26,607 --> 00:34:28,609
[tense music continues]
470
00:34:30,528 --> 00:34:32,655
Finding prey takes a keen eye,
471
00:34:33,405 --> 00:34:35,032
and a lot of walking.
472
00:34:35,116 --> 00:34:37,118
[tense music continues]
473
00:34:40,996 --> 00:34:43,541
Catching it doesn't come easily.
474
00:34:49,463 --> 00:34:50,422
[thudding]
475
00:34:50,506 --> 00:34:52,883
-[squeaking]
-[squawking]
476
00:34:58,806 --> 00:34:59,682
[croaking]
477
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:06,438
[suspenseful music crescendos]
478
00:35:07,773 --> 00:35:09,441
Success at last.
479
00:35:11,861 --> 00:35:14,697
But one small lizard is barely a snack.
480
00:35:18,117 --> 00:35:20,411
Luckily, Mom's on the case.
481
00:35:24,081 --> 00:35:26,083
[dramatic music crescendos]
482
00:35:30,129 --> 00:35:33,132
She'll keep feeding her young
for another two months…
483
00:35:33,215 --> 00:35:35,634
[squawking]
484
00:35:35,718 --> 00:35:37,344
…as the awkward youngsters
485
00:35:38,679 --> 00:35:40,639
learn to be deadly assassins,
486
00:35:42,391 --> 00:35:43,642
just like Mom.
487
00:35:43,726 --> 00:35:45,227
[uplifting music plays]
488
00:35:45,311 --> 00:35:48,147
[squawking]
489
00:35:48,230 --> 00:35:51,233
Few other birds make such devoted parents.
490
00:35:51,817 --> 00:35:53,611
[uplifting music continues]
491
00:35:56,906 --> 00:36:00,826
Raptors spend much of their lives
rearing their young.
492
00:36:00,910 --> 00:36:02,912
[uplifting music continues]
493
00:36:03,829 --> 00:36:05,873
Providing protection
494
00:36:06,916 --> 00:36:08,417
and hard-won meals
495
00:36:10,002 --> 00:36:11,462
to ensure that one day
496
00:36:12,296 --> 00:36:14,006
their chicks will be able
497
00:36:14,548 --> 00:36:16,592
to survive on their own.
498
00:36:16,675 --> 00:36:18,677
[uplifting music continues]
499
00:36:27,144 --> 00:36:28,145
Late fall.
500
00:36:29,730 --> 00:36:31,732
[uplifting music fades]
501
00:36:32,691 --> 00:36:36,403
Hundreds of bald eagles
have traveled from far and wide…
502
00:36:38,822 --> 00:36:41,575
to hunt migrating waterfowl.
503
00:36:41,659 --> 00:36:44,912
[squawking]
504
00:36:46,413 --> 00:36:48,874
Young eagles need to build their strength.
505
00:36:49,375 --> 00:36:51,377
[tranquil music plays]
506
00:36:55,422 --> 00:36:58,092
They won't get any more handouts
from Mom and Dad…
507
00:37:01,512 --> 00:37:04,181
so they need to watch and learn.
508
00:37:05,266 --> 00:37:07,268
[tranquil music continues]
509
00:37:08,936 --> 00:37:10,688
Gliding into the wind,
510
00:37:10,771 --> 00:37:13,899
an adult chooses its moment to strike.
511
00:37:16,110 --> 00:37:18,362
Coots are quick to get out of the way…
512
00:37:20,322 --> 00:37:21,615
[dramatic music plays]
513
00:37:21,699 --> 00:37:23,701
…but can't stay under for long.
514
00:37:23,784 --> 00:37:25,786
[dramatic music continues]
515
00:37:34,253 --> 00:37:35,713
Catching prey is hard.
516
00:37:37,256 --> 00:37:39,675
Keeping hold of it is even harder.
517
00:37:40,592 --> 00:37:42,845
[squawking]
518
00:37:42,928 --> 00:37:44,930
[dramatic music continues]
519
00:37:48,183 --> 00:37:50,936
Better to give it up than risk a fight.
520
00:37:51,020 --> 00:37:53,022
[dramatic music continues]
521
00:37:57,109 --> 00:37:59,945
It's time to put what he's seen
into practice.
522
00:38:01,113 --> 00:38:03,115
[dramatic music continues]
523
00:38:07,077 --> 00:38:13,667
[squawking]
524
00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:23,218
The trick is to catch one off guard.
525
00:38:26,722 --> 00:38:28,223
Easier said than done.
526
00:38:28,307 --> 00:38:30,642
[dramatic music continues]
527
00:38:40,194 --> 00:38:42,404
With every failed grab…
528
00:38:44,490 --> 00:38:46,742
with every one that gets away,
529
00:38:48,702 --> 00:38:50,371
he refines his timing
530
00:38:51,830 --> 00:38:53,415
and angle of attack.
531
00:38:54,249 --> 00:38:56,251
[tense music plays]
532
00:39:11,642 --> 00:39:13,185
At last.
533
00:39:13,268 --> 00:39:15,270
[tense music continues]
534
00:39:16,355 --> 00:39:18,482
But he's so focused on getting away,
535
00:39:19,733 --> 00:39:21,193
he drops the ball.
536
00:39:23,362 --> 00:39:24,405
And now,
537
00:39:26,156 --> 00:39:27,908
he's got competition.
538
00:39:27,991 --> 00:39:29,993
[tense music continues]
539
00:39:34,206 --> 00:39:37,751
The youngster is determined
to reclaim his prize.
540
00:39:39,670 --> 00:39:41,171
[tense music crescendos]
541
00:39:46,093 --> 00:39:48,512
But this just isn't his day.
542
00:39:51,056 --> 00:39:53,225
And days are running short.
543
00:39:57,896 --> 00:40:02,401
As temperatures drop,
eagles need more energy to keep warm.
544
00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:08,532
But still no kill.
545
00:40:11,785 --> 00:40:15,330
Less than half of all young eagles
survive their first winter.
546
00:40:15,414 --> 00:40:17,416
[tense music plays]
547
00:40:19,626 --> 00:40:22,045
It's now or never.
548
00:40:22,129 --> 00:40:24,131
[tense music continues]
549
00:40:37,478 --> 00:40:38,896
[uplifting music plays]
550
00:40:47,571 --> 00:40:48,447
And this time…
551
00:40:51,116 --> 00:40:52,701
he doesn't let go.
552
00:40:52,784 --> 00:40:54,786
[uplifting music continues]
553
00:41:01,627 --> 00:41:02,878
Just months ago,
554
00:41:03,670 --> 00:41:07,132
these new eagles
entered the world as helpless chicks.
555
00:41:08,717 --> 00:41:13,096
Thanks to their killer instinct
and their parents' incredible devotion,
556
00:41:14,014 --> 00:41:17,726
they've become
fully-fledged birds of prey.
557
00:41:19,019 --> 00:41:21,021
[tranquil music plays]
558
00:41:22,773 --> 00:41:26,026
They won't develop their white head
until they're five years old.
559
00:41:29,112 --> 00:41:32,741
Only then will they be ready
to raise a family of their own…
560
00:41:37,412 --> 00:41:39,289
and pass on their skills…
561
00:41:41,917 --> 00:41:43,585
to the next generation.
562
00:41:43,669 --> 00:41:45,671
[tranquil music continues]
563
00:41:49,883 --> 00:41:51,677
[dramatic music plays]