Join the Journey with Bald Eagle Cams

Bald Eagle Cam Shot of a Pair at Chincoteague, USFWS

It’s a good time of year to celebrate nesting bald eagles. Whether you search for live eagle cams, visit a live nest, or look for updates from nests around the country, now is a good time to explore what the eagles are doing.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge has a nesting pair of bald eagles. USFWS

At Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in particular, there’s a live feed of a pair that you can watch from the refuge visitor’s center with periodic updates and video footage provided online. This pair of eagles has successfully produced a clutch of three eggs; a typical size for the Chincoteague eagles.

Mark Your Calendar for Updates: The Chincoteague eagle eggs are expected to hatch March 7th, 10th and 13th.

Learning About Eagle Nests

The Chincoteague nest site has been active since 2006. The eagles are not tracked or monitored, so apart from the one nest-cam the Service doesn’t know if this pair is mated for life.

This nest is 7 feet in diameter by 4 feet high. While the weight is unknown, eagle’s nests can weigh well over a ton! Chincoteague’s nest is on the larger side, being added to and reused year after year.

>> Did you know? Bald eagles are protected by multiple laws?

Visiting Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuges is one of the most visited refuges in the United States. With over 14,000 acres of beach, dunes and marshes, not to mention the famous Chincoteague ponies, the refigure today is an amazing habitat for a variety of wildlife and shorebirds. This time of year the refuge is open from 6AM until 6PM, 7 days a week. For additional information on the eagles, and all of the programs Chincoteague has to offer, call 757-336-6122.

A Few Other Eagle Nests You Can Watch Live

1. DC Eagle Cam
2. National Conservation Training Center Eagle Cam
3. MN Department of Natural Resources Eagle Cam

Watching eagle nests in-person can be done on many national wildlife refuges! Ken Sturm/USFWS

Additional Eagle Fun Facts

• Eagles have a 7–8 foot wingspan, and weigh from 8 to 14 pounds.
• The female is larger than the male.
• The distinctive white head and tail feathers appear when the eagles mature at 4 or 5 years old.
• Bald eagles are believed to live 30 years or longer in the wild. They mate for life, building huge nests in the tops of large trees near rivers, lakes, and other wetlands.
• The adults will often return to the same nest year after year making additions to the nest each year. Some nests can reach up to 10 feet across and weigh up to 2000 pounds.
• Eagles feed primarily on fish, but will also feed on ducks, rodents, snakes, and carrion.
• Both the male and female build the nest, but the female chooses the nest tree. Both will defend the nest territory which is usually several square miles, depending on habitat and the proximity of other nesting eagles.

>>Read More Fun Facts from National Conservation Training Center