I go to Belle Plaine Elementary school. I think their natural instincts tell them to be cautious and steer clear of humans. We have followed many young eagles who have subsequently returned to from 1-225 miles from where they were born to start their own nests. He wonders how they stay attached to the bird as when he finds a feather on the ground, it doesn't seem to have any roots. A. Feathers, like the scales on the feet or the claws or the horny sheath of the bill are keratinous outgrowths of the skin, similar to our nails.
Feathers grow out of skin follicles, just as human hair does.
If you have ever tried to pull feathers out of a bird, especially a large wing or tail feather, you know how strongly they are held into the skin which surrounds and grows over the shaft. Q. Heather, Grade One, Ferrisburgh Central School, Ferrisburgh, Vermont wants to know about the diet of an eagle. If so, you'd think it's quite small, about an inch or so sized cube. A. 59 worldwide. The overall brown and white mottling of young eagles before they reach sexual maturiy is likely an adaptation to keep them more concealed and thus protected while they are young.