A Minnesota bald eagle nest that was being video-streamed on the state’s EagleCam fell from its tree Sunday morning, killing an eaglet that had hatched about a week earlier.
“We wish we weren’t writing this post,” the Department of Natural Resources said on Facebook, “but the EagleCam nest fell out of the tree early this morning.”
In an update, the agency added, “We have found the chick. It did not survive the fall. If you know where the nest is, we ask that you refrain from visiting.”
Condolences poured in. “My heart is broken. RIP little one,” one person wrote on Facebook. “Rest in Peace sweet chick,” another said.
On the EagleCam website, DNR officials speculated that the nest was likely a victim of the weekend snowstorm that dumped eight inches on the Twin Cities and toppled many branches in the metro.
“We don’t know why the nest fell, but after seeing the site we have a few theories,” the DNR wrote. “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.”
DNR officials said the pair probably won’t produce another egg this year, but the highly territorial birds may rebuild their nest in the same area.
The DNR had announced the eaglet’s hatching on Monday. “We have the new star of 2023!” the agency said on Facebook. “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, one on Feb. 15 and the other on Feb. 18. One of the eggs broke on Feb. 21.
In early March, one of the parents was shown weathering a snowstorm while taking care of its egg.
“There’s snow place like home!” the DNR wrote on YouTube at the time. “Like many Minnesotans, the EagleCam eagles live here because they like it — even if they have to deal with the occasional snowstorm.”
Sunday’s incident echoed another in July 2020, when an eaglet the public had monitored via the EagleCam since it was in an egg in March died after hitting a power line.
The DNR debuted the EagleCam in February 2013.
