A second eaglet has died on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge west of Rochester.
Earlier this month, a nesting pair of bald eagles hatched three eaglets in the nest on the refuge, where eagles have nested regularly for several decades. Friends of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge announced the first death on April 7 and the second on Monday.
The eaglet died after falling out of the nest, according to the group. The first died when the mother knocked it out of the warmest part of the nest and it wasn't able to survive because it hadn't developed the ability to thermoregulate yet.
“We are wondering if perhaps this being a newly built nest means it is shallower than most of the more established nests that are seen on cameras,” said Emma DeLeon, vice president of the group. “We could be seeing things happen that occur in nature regularly, but are not usually observed.”
In 2024, a strong wind blew the nest out of the tree, sending it crashing to the ground.
Friends of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is a nonprofit, volunteer group that supports the refuge. It holds Eagle Watches on Saturdays at the Cayuga Overlook along state Route 77 and paid for the camera that allows the public to watch the nesting birds.
