The video below is taken from live footage from the nest of our Bald Eagles, "Independence" and "Franklin"
As of June 15, 2011, all three babies have "graduated" to the Hack Tower on Douglas Lake. Our chat room is still open, and we invite you to stop by for a visit.
E-2 and E-3 Join E-1 at Hack Tower
Watch Video of E-1 at the Hack Tower on Douglas Lake in East Tennessee.
WBIR, Channel 10, did a video story about our Eagle Nest Cam. We invite you to watch it here.
This is the nest of Independence and Franklin, non-releasable Bald Eagles cared for by the American Eagle Foundation at Eagle Mountain Sanctuary in Pigeon Forge, TN. 3 eggs were laid. E-1 hatched April 29. One week and one day later, on May 5, E-2 hatched. The next day, E-3 hatched. This edited video begins with the hatching of E-2, and documents the eaglets' development over the next several days.
E-1, E-2, E-3. Photo taken July 14, 2011 at hack tower
E-1 at 10 days; E-2 at 4 days; E-3 at 3 days
Eaglets at 5 - 6 weeks of age
E-1 settles in at the Hack Tower
A room with a view!
Careful food prep—in sizes E-1 can handle!
E-1 (and the other eaglets) are fed through a drawer into which the tray of food is placed. The eaglet sees the food and does not know humans were involved.
About our bald eagles, nest cam & cause. The "live" video feed is streamed on-line 24/7. At night an infrared light provides night vision to viewers via the cam. Infrared light is not visible to the eagles, so they do not see it or know it is there.
This year's bald eagle nesting pair are "Independence" and "Franklin" (female has a black feather spot on the back of her head).
The "non-releasable" birds are cared for by the AEF at its United States Eagle Center in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee).
At its raptor center, the AEF cares for about 80 birds of prey daily, including the world's largest collection of "non-releasable" bald eagles. Most all these birds are used for educational purposes, and, in some cases, for propagation purposes to release captive-hatched young into the wild for repopulation purposes in specific territories.
Also, the AEF cares for and rehabilitates injured and orphaned eagles and other birds for possible return to the wild.
The Independence and Franklin nest is located inside the "Eagle Mountain Sanctuary" aviary exhibit on the Dollywood family adventure park.
The 3 eggs in the nest were laid March 23, March 26, and March 29, 2011.
The incubation period for each egg is about 35 days. The first eggs hatched on April 29, 2011 (the day of the Royal Wedding of William & Kate).
This disabled bald eagle pair (Franklin & Independence) has produced numerous young during previous breeding seasons, which have all been successfully released into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains - on Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee.
The young will remain in their parent's nest for about 6 weeks (after hatching), and then will be placed in an artificial nesting/release tower (hacking tower) overlooking the lake mentioned above.
The youngsters will be released into the wild when they are full-sized at about 12 or 13 weeks of age (the approximate fledge age in the wild)
What is the American Eagle Foundation (AEF)? Established in 1985, the non-profit AEF is dedicated to protect the majestic Bald Eagle, the USA's National Symbol, and its habitat by supporting and conducting eagle and environmental recovery and education programs.
How often are the eaglets fed? The
eaglets get fed by their parents numerous times per day (and sometimes
during night). The parents usually feed the babies beginning at around
6:30 a.m. or 7 a.m. (EST). As the babies grow bigger, they will require
more food, but right now their capacity for food is much less. The food
is placed inside the aviary at the bottom of the hill from the nest
twice a day (morning and evening) by AEF staff. The amount of food
provided daily is more than enough for the babies to be fed numerous
times. In fact, there are usually leftovers at the end of the day. The
food in the nest is sometimes lying off-camera or blends in with the
straw. The birds are cared for by professional AEF caregivers and by
experienced eagle parents. In past years, the parent birds have
successfully raised two sets of triplets.
Make a charitable donation to help our conservation work. The American Eagle Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit public charity, so donations are fully "tax-deductible".
The programs of the AEF are sustained by donations from individuals and corporations. The AEF receives no governmental funding. There is a DONATION BUTTON on the home page of the AEF's website.
This is the largest aviary presentation of non-releasable Bald Eagles in the world.
The nest of "Independence" and "Franklin" can be
found about 35 feet up a steep hillside inside the Eagle Mountain
Sanctuary aviary at Dollywood. The nest is a human-made structure, but
the parents add sticks and other materials before and after laying and
hatching their eggs.
A vast habitat offers a natural setting for these
non-releasable eagles. Many have limited flight and enjoy flying up in
the trees.
An artificial nesting/release tower overlooking a
private area on Douglas Lake (East Tennessee) is home for the eaglets
after they are removed from their parents' nest at 5 to 6 weeks of age.
While there, they do not come into direct contact with people, but are
closely monitored and cared for daily by AEF staff members until they
have grown to full-size at 13 or 14 weeks of age and are released into
the wild. While living in the nesting tower, the eaglets are viewed
through one-way mirrored glass windows and fed/watered via sliding
drawers, so they do not become "human-imprinted." Prior to their
release, the eaglets are fitted with a radio tracking transmitter on
their middle tail feather, a colored/numbered marker on their left wing,
and a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service metal band on their right
leg/ankle.
