It’s considered impolite to spy on your neighbors, but one North State bald eagle family doesn’t seem to mind. The nonprofit Friends of the Redding Eagles (FORE) has posted a live webcam within arm’s reach of their nest.
The mated pair of bald eagles – named Liberty and Guardian – is rearing two healthy eaglets high in a cottonwood tree. The camera is so well placed it almost puts you in the nest.
“It gives us a really cool view, not just of the nest but the surrounding area,” said Terri Lhuillier who is with FORE. “It’s next to the Sacramento River and so it’s a beautiful view.”
More about the bald eagle family
The female – Liberty – provides most of the care. Guardian forages and occasionally takes a turn in the nest.
The downy eaglets themselves are just a couple of weeks old.
“It’s pretty nice to be able to watch the babies when they hatch all the way until 11 to 12 weeks when they take their first flight away from the nest,” Lhuillier said. “Everyone is just glued to watching them. It’s fantastic.”
Guardian is Liberty’s third mate. According to FORE they paired up in 2019 after her second mate disappeared.
The lifespan of a bald eagle is about 30 years. Liberty is 25, but Lhuillier said that hasn’t slowed her down.
“She pretty much cranks the eaglets out every year,” she said. “These are numbers 27 and 28, but she’s extremely productive.”
When will the young‘uns leave the nest?
It will be another eight to 10 weeks before the eaglets gain their wings. After that they’ll spend some time learning to fly, and then go off on their own. When they do, Lhuillier predicts they'll stay close to home.
“I think a lot of [Liberty’s] offspring have definitely gone to Palo Cedro because there are just more and more nests out there all the time. Definitely Anderson,” Lhuillier said.
There’s no audio on the webcam feed, but you can scroll back 12 hours to watch the birds.
