Eagle lovers around the world who were crushed when the nest of a Minnesota pair and their chick collapsed on live video last year will get a when a new eagle camera goes live this week
Eagle enthusiasts around the world, still mourning the loss of the live-streamed nest collapse last year, will get another chance to observe bald eagles when a new eagle camera goes live on Thursday. The camera, operated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is positioned in a different location and will feature a new pair of nesting eagles. However, the DNR will also continue streaming the original EagleCam, as the former eagle pair, unofficially named “Nancy and Beau,” have built a new nest nearby and still visit their old territory.
The previous EagleCam, which had gained a global following, had viewers from all 50 states and around 160 countries, including homes, classrooms, and nursing homes, said Lori Naumann, a spokesperson for the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program. The camera captured the daily life of the eagle pair until the nest collapsed during a snowstorm on April 2, 2023. The female eagle flew off just as a branch supporting their massive 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) nest gave way. Tragically, the chick that was in the nest was later found dead. The loss sparked an outpouring of grief among the camera’s fans, especially in popular Facebook groups dedicated to following the pair.
The new camera will show a different eagle pair that has nested in the area for at least four years. This pair has successfully raised several broods of eaglets, although the DNR has not yet studied them closely enough to know the full extent of their nesting history. Both cameras will go live at 6 a.m. CST on Thursday, available on the DNR’s website and YouTube channel.
Although activity at the nest is currently low, viewers can expect more action in the coming months. “It’s not really breeding season right now,” Naumann explained. “But we expect them to start bringing new branches and nesting material into the nest over the next several months, when their courtship behavior will start ramping up.” The female eagle is expected to lay two or three eggs in February, which will take about 35 days to hatch. Both parents will share the responsibility of feeding their chicks, mostly with fish.
As for “Nancy and Beau,” while they’ve successfully raised chicks at their new nest, it wasn’t feasible to set up a camera there. The DNR had to conduct an extensive search to find the new, more accessible location with a healthy tree, where the camera was installed in early October at a cost of about $5,000. Xcel Energy, based in Minneapolis, provided the bucket lift and other services for the camera installation at no charge.
The eagles serve as ambassadors for the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program, which relies on donations and a voluntary checkoff on the state’s personal income tax form to fund various wildlife conservation projects across Minnesota. Although the DNR isn’t an official participant in the state’s charity event, the cameras are being launched on Thursday to coincide with it, allowing viewers to once again enjoy the beauty and majesty of Minnesota’s bald eagles.