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2023 EagleCam Season
April 2, 2023
At 7:53am on Apr. 2, the EagleCam nest fell. DNR staff immediately went to the site. After a few hours of searching, the chick was found deceased and taken into DNR possession.
We don’t know why the nest fell, but after seeing the site we have a few theories. 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 branch was dead and the nest was over 20 years old and weighed over 2,000 pounds. In the area and neighborhood near the nest were many fallen trees and branches from the heavy, wet snow.
The adults were seen flying around the area. We do not know if they will rebuild in the same area, but it is likely. Eagles are loyal to their territory. However, it is highly unlikely that the female will lay another egg this year, even if they do have an alternate nest. Minnesota’s nesting season is simply too short for her to incubate another egg. However, we will keep the camera on for now and will let you know before we turn the camera off for the season. We will also keep an eye out for the adult eagles and update you if they stay around the area.
This is an emotional time for all of us, but please refrain from visiting the nest. This was already a major disturbance for the eagles and many visitors will only cause more stress. The nest is on state land and is both State and Federally protected. Trespassing is not allowed in the area.
We appreciate the amazing community and support of all the EagleCam viewers out there. Rest assured, we are feeling this with you and are committed to the EagleCam. It will return, either with a new nest in a new location or the same area. For this year however, the chick season has sadly ended. Thank you for your donations, condolences and your words of support for our team, you are so very important to the Nongame Wildlife Program and Minnesota DNR.
March 27, 2023
Minnesota DNR Nongame EagleCam egg has hatched! We have the new star of 2023! This single chick will be one well cared-for eaglet. Egg hatched on 3/26 some time in the afternoon.
The eagle pair laid two eggs (on 2/15 and 2/18). One of the eggs broke on 2/21 and the remaining egg hatched yesterday. This single chick will be well cared-for and is being fiercely protected by both adults. It has already had its first meal this morning. Bald eagle chicks are one of the fastest growing animals on the planet, so tune in to get early shots of (what we think is) the cutest phase of development. In the first several days of life the chick’s neck muscles are not fully developed, so it is difficult for it to hold its heavy head up. They are often referred to as “bobble-heads” at this stage.
March 1, 2023
Broken Egg
On February 28, when the male and female were switching incubation duties, the male rose with one egg stuck to his brood patch. The brood patch is a bare spot of skin that all nesting adult eagles have. It allows for the warm skin of the adult's body to be in direct contact with the egg, keeping the eggs at an optimal 99°F. We don't know if the egg was already broken when the male stood up, or if it happened earlier.
What now?
There is no indication the remaining egg is broken or infertile. The eagle pair will continue incubating it just as they have been, until about March 23. Since we don't know if the broken egg was the first or second egg, the incubation time frame is less predictable. We will begin egg watch on March 22. The survival rate of bald eagle chicks to fledging (successful flight) is 50%. It is sad and unfortunate to lose an egg, but since there will only be one chick to care for, the survival chances increase dramatically!
February 23, 2023
A major snowfall piles up 13.4 inches of snow in the Twin Cities covering the female in this time lapse video from the early hours of February 23rd.
February 21, 2023
On Saturday February 18 just before noon, the female laid her second egg. Her mate has been providing food and trading off incubation duties. The mate is never far away, keeping a watchful eye over the nest for intruders or predators. Both of the eagles have delivered more nesting material in anticipation of the coming snow storm.
Seventeen to twenty-four inches of snow are predicted for the area between today and Thursday morning. The snow will provide insulation for the eggs as they incubate. The eggs are now nestled further down in the soft fur, feathers, leaves and grasses tucked in around them.
Will there be a third egg? Tune in and keep an eye on the bole when the eggs are being turned to see if egg number three emerges this week. In 34 to 39 days, there just might be fuzzy-headed chicks to watch!
February 15, 2023
Congratulations everyone, we have our first egg of the 2023 season! The first egg came around 12:30 PM today. The pair has been preparing the nest bole with soft grasses and leaves for a few weeks. The female has been slowing down, spending more time in the nest and the male has been bringing food to her in the nest. These are signs that an egg was imminent. Watch for more eggs in the coming days. Average time between egg laying is 63 hours (between 2-3 days). How many eggs do you think she will lay this year? Tune in and watch!
January 20, 2023 - Microphone replacement
The microphone has been replaced at the nest. The microphone is working well with no clicking sound! Tune in to hear the sounds of our eagle pair’s territory. You will hear traffic noise, the natural sounds of the birds and critters in the area and hopefully, eagle chicks in the near future!
December 22, 2022
Where are the eagles? The nest has not seen much eagle activity and is covered in snow. While you might miss seeing them, they have visited the nest tree briefly at least once (usually two or three times) every day. The pair tends to spend their time perched on nearby branches keeping a watch on their territory or fishing at the nearby river. This week’s bitter cold temperatures and windchill will likely cause them and most Minnesota critters to hunker down to keep their energy reserves up. We don’t know what the time schedule will be with nest rejuvenation and egg laying, but we are grateful they don’t have eggs to keep warm right now. Stay tuned, watch the cam at dawn and dusk and you might catch a glimpse of the pair visiting.
Happy Holidays to all and thank you for your support!
Happy Tenth Anniversary, EagleCam
Welcome back! The first season of the EagleCam was 2013. We will be celebrating the past seasons throughout the year, so watch for upcoming social media and Newsletters. If you have not signed up to receive our newsletter, you can do so by clicking the green envelope button below.
As you may remember, last year, the male disappeared from the nest. We suspect he succumbed to HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza), but it was never confirmed. Over the summer, another male began visiting the territory and the past few months, our female has accepted his presence and it appears she has a new mate. We are excited to see how the EagleCam season plays out and watch the male and female bond over the next couple of months before mating begins.
Audio/Sound:
Technical issues are always challenging. When it became apparent the audio was not working properly at the nest, we purchased a new microphone which will be installed as soon as possible. The supply chain problems during the pandemic slowed down the arrival of the microphone, and by the time it and the new camera arrived, the software to make the two devices talk to each other had become obsolete. However, the new mic will work with the current camera.
Video/camera:
We have been discussing and trouble-shooting the viewing experience for the DNR EagleCam. The camera in place is an excellent model, providing a high-quality view to camera operators when not being compressed by a streaming process. Replacing it will not improve the streaming video. The pixilated image happens during times of high tree motion. The camera is on a branch that sways in the wind, and the nest is between separate branches that also sway in the wind in an opposing motion, creating a sort of motion sickness and causes the stream to appear out of focus and pixelated. The poor image quality during windy conditions is streaming software related due to high motion levels and settings of our streaming software. Large numbers of small moving Poplar leaves in the summer do not help the situation. As time allows, our tech team will be looking at the settings in the streaming software to see if those settings can be adjusted to improve the quality of the stream. A new/different camera would have the same issues during periods of high motion.
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The Nongame Wildlife Program helps protect and preserve thousands of Minnesota’s wildlife species. In addition to our conservation work, we also engage in outreach and education so that Minnesotans can learn about their wildlife. The EagleCam is one of our best tools for brining Minnesota’s wildlife to everyone. And your donations help keep it running!
When filling your taxes, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via the nongame tax checkoff. You can also donate online anytime. All donations are double-matched and help us continue our legacy of helping Minnesota’s wildlife. We sincerely thank you for any amount you give, it all makes a difference in the life of Minnesota's animals!
We thank you again for all of your generous contributions to the Nongame Wildlife Program so we can continue to bring this amazing view into the lives of Minnesota bald eagles.
We'd also like to thank our partners in this webcam adventure: Floyd Security and Xcel Energy.
Rewind video for instant replay: Click anywhere on the red timeline bar below the image to go back up to 4 hours. Click on the "LIVE" button to return to the live feed. Make the video full screen by pressing the double arrow in the lower right. To escape from full screen, press the ESC key, or tap "Done" on your mobile device.
Note to viewers: This is live video of wild bald eagles living in nature. Natural struggles will occur and some of the feeding or other wild bird behaviors may be difficult to watch. Please use discretion when watching this cam. DNR staff monitor this camera and nest.
- EagleCam Newsletters
View the latest EagleCam newsletters. These are sent regularly to subscribers during the EagleCam season.
You can sign up for updates here!
- Learn more about the EagleCam
Are the adult eagles male or female?
The only visible physical difference between adult male and female American Bald eagles is their size. Females are about 1/3 larger than the males - the females have especially larger feet and beaks. Both parents incubate the eggs and switch several times a day. With this pair, the female appears to have a brighter, whiter head than the male.
Learn more about eagles »See How They Grow!
Adult building nest
Laying the eggs
Just hatched!
Week one
Week two
Week three
Week four
Week five
Week six
Week seven - full size
Week nine - learning to fly!
Week thirteen - ready to leave!
All photos courtesy of © 2015 American Eagle Foundation, www.eagles.org.
- EagleCam Photo and Video Gallery
Photos
Video Clips
View happenings that we have captured in the nest this season.
2022
Nest delivery of a valentine day's treat
Male repels a raccoon climbing into the nest
View the 2022 YouTube playlist
2020
View the 2020 YouTube playlist2018 and 2019
- About Bald eagles
Once pushed to the brink of extinction, the Bald eagle has made a powerful comeback since the pesticide DDT was banned in the early 1970s. Minnesota has more Bald eagles than any other state in the lower 48 states.
Places to see Bald eagles in Minnesota
An eagle camera is a great way of getting a close-up view of nature without even leaving home. But if you live in the Twin Cities or elsewhere in Minnesota, there are lots of places outdoors such as state parks where you can watch eagles and other wildlife, and do fun things like catch fish, paddle a canoe, and more.
Eagles in winter »
Eagles in summer »
Find a Minnesota State Park close to you »
