Minnesota Launches New Bald Eagle Livestream After the First Ends in Tragedy

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has activated a new EagleCam, less than a year after viewers to the popular nature feed were horrified to witness the destruction of a long-filmed nest in a snowstorm.  

At an undisclosed location within the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the agency found another bald eagle pair engaged in the process of nest-building and equipped a camera nearby. Over the next few months, the birds will bring in twigs and moss and arrange branches as a bonding activity. Two or three eggs are expected by mid-February, and the eaglets should hatch about six weeks after that. 

The Minnesota DNR’s first EagleCam, launched in 2013, silently observed an eagle couple (nicknamed Nancy and Beau by viewers) through multiple nesting and mating seasons. It attracted 341,828 viewers across all 50 states and from 127 countries, the agency reported.

Though they’re made mostly of sticks, moss, plant stalks, and other small items, bald eagle nests can become huge, the largest of any bird species in North America. Average-sized nests are 4 to 6 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep and can weigh one ton, according to the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. Some of the bigger nests have reached diameters of 10 feet and depths of 20 feet. Bald eagles can use the same nest for years, or even decades, repairing it during mating seasons.

The nest of Nancy and Beau had grown to 2000 pounds and was over 20 years old when a winter storm contributed to its collapse in April 2024. Some dismayed fans watched Nancy crouch around an eaglet as the nest swayed and then fell. The eaglet died. 

Nancy and Beau built a new nest about half a mile away from their old one. They still visit their former neighborhood and the DNR plans to keep its original EagleCam operational for fans hoping to catch a glimpse of them. Meanwhile, the new feed launched Thursday with a new eagle couple yet to be named. 

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