Eaglets Moved to Wildlife Center

By WYDaily Staff Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Wildlife biologists Wednesday morning removed a trio of bald eaglets from their nest at the Norfolk  Botanical Garden. The birds’ mother was struck and killed by an airplane on approach to Norfolk International Airport Tuesday morning.

The birds and their parents have been the popular stars of the botanical garden’s Eagle Cam. While the male bald eagle returned to the nest Tuesday night with a fish for his young, biologists including some from the College of William and Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology said they considered it unlikely the "dad" eagle would be able to provide enough food for all three eaglets. The amount of food the chicks would require as they grow will increase exponentially, biologists said, and likely exceed the abilities of even a very capable hunter.

Biologists from the state's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries made the decision to remove the eaglets this morning and take them to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, a nonprofit teaching hospital in Waynesboro. There, they’ll fledge, learn to hunt and generally prepare for release, probably some time late this summer.

Biologists said the difficult decision to remove the five-week-old chicks from the nest was made in part also by the birds' popularity and a desire to give them the best chance possible to survive.

“The agency recognizes that there is a very high degree of public investment in these birds. Thousands of people worldwide have watched these eagles over the years and followed their progress,” said VDGIF biologist Stephen Living.

“Without intervention, it is all but certain that one or more of these eaglets would not survive the next three months. Pulling the birds and sending them to the Wildlife Center gives them their best chance. The birds are already old enough to know that they are eagles and to recognize their siblings. Maintaining them as a family unit and releasing them together when they are ready to go will certainly improve their survival potential.”

During a live chat this afternoon from the Waynesboro center, WCV President Ed Clark said he broke off from a TV interview to greet the chicks, then dashed over to a computer to conduct the chat for a worldwide Eagle Cam-viewing public ravenous for information.

"As romantic a notion as it may be for the male to take over as Mr. Mom, sooner or later there will not be enough food. Eventually the stronger chicks will force the weaker ones out of the nest, or even worse; the weakest chicks may be killed by its siblings," Clark wrote. "The decision made by DGIF will provided the very best chance that all will survive and be released to the wild."

Many viewers were eager to resume monitoring the eaglets' daily activities at the WCV, but Clark said a webcam is not yet in place. The WCV understand the keen interest, he said, and is working hard to make the webcam happen. In the meantime, Clark directed interested folks to the WCV's website, which will post progress updates on the trio. Click here for that information.

The WCV is also on Facebook, by clicking here.

Reese Lukei, of the College of William and Mary's Center for Conservation Biology, also dropped in on this afternoon's Eagle Cam chat. He said the eaglets "looked well and remain healthy." Lukei is the biologist who maintains the W&M Eagle Cam blog. He was also the one who received the call to identify the female eagle after she was struck and killed.