Chick on DNR’s Eagle Cam Dies After Nest Falls from Tree

(KNSI) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the bald eagle nest on the agency’s EagleCam has fallen from its tree.

The DNR says it doesn’t know exactly why the nest fell, but “The most likely scenario is that the heavy snow we received during the April 1st blizzard finally became too much weight for the branch to support.” The area where the nest was located had many downed trees and broken branches due to the heavy, wet snow. The branch the 2,000 pound nest was perched on was dead. The DNR says the nest was over 20 years old.

The chick in the nest did not survive the fall. That means the pair will have no babies to raise this season. The other egg the pair was incubating became stuck to the male’s brood patch and was discovered broken on February 28th.

The DNR says the eagles were seen flying nearby and are loyal to their territory, but if they do rebuild the nest, which is likely, it is unlikely the female will lay another egg this year. The nesting season is too short for her to incubate it.

The camera will stay on for now, and officials will continue to watch the pair.

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