Watching Eagles

Our ECC Classes joined Kathy in the education office to look at three baby eagles and a mama and papa eagle at a fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. See them pointing to Iowa on the map?

The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.

Check out the live stream at http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

FAQs

How high is the nest?About 80 feet.

How big is the nest?about 6 feet across, about 4 feet deep; it weighs about 1000 lb.

How old is the nest?The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?No.

Which is the male and which is the female?It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, and 3 more in 2010.When were the eggs laid in 2010, and when did they hatch?First egg was February 25, second on February 28, third on March 5. First hatch was April 3, second on April 6, third on April 9. All three eaglets fledged and are now on the wing but are not being tracked.

What is the area around the nest like?The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa. The nest can be seen from the hatchery, but visitors to the hatchery should keep their distance from the nest tree, both to respect the private property where the tree is located and to avoid disturbing the eagles.Here is a ground-level video of the surroundings, taken in March 2010. This video shows the eagles’ point of view.