Live HD Nest Cams
We invite our viewers into the world of Bald Eagles through our high-definition live-streaming cameras placed over wild and captive Bald Eagle Nests. We are grateful to HDOnTap for generously donating their streaming service and partnering with us to achieve the highest quality possible.
Official Nest Cam Intervention Policy
The educational benefit of wildlife cameras is unprecedented and allows global viewers a “bird’s eye view” into the lives of bald eagles and other birds of prey. However, American Eagle Foundation, in conjunction with USFWS guidance, prohibits interference in an active wild nest. If a situation occurs that can be directly linked to a man-made cause (such as monofilament entanglement) a panel of experts can be called in to determine whether action should be taken to support a nest. Actions cannot be taken in situations that are found to occur naturally in the wild, such as avian pox, nest disruption caused by storms, predators, etc. As always, viewer discretion is advised when watching our nest cams.
Dollywood Nest Cams
The Dollywood Nest Cams feature unbonded male and female bald eagles. All the eagles here live inside of an enormous aviary on Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park. Although these eagles are non-releasable and are unable to survive in the wild, they live the most natural life that they can in human care.
Northeast Florida Nest Cam
The Northeast Florida Nest Cam features the nest of wild Bald Eagles Samson & Gabrielle. Three cams provide very closeup, high definition views of every important moment in the nesting season, and a third cam shows the tree and the nest from a distance away, enabling viewers to witness the adult eagles flying into the nest, as well as the juvenile eagles branching and fledging.
National Arboretum Nest Cam
The National Arboretum Eagle Nest features the wild nest of Mr. President & Lotus.
This Bald Eagle pair reside in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. Their nest sits high in a Tulip Poplar tree among the Azalea Collection at the U.S. National Arboretum, which is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture.
These cams are powered completely by solar energy.
in 2022, a second eagle nest was discovered on Arboretum property, closer to the river and golf course. Through photos and ground observations we have a positively identified the pair of eagles as Mr. President and Lotus.
Dulles Greenway Nest Cam
The Dulles Greenway Eagle Cam features the wild nest of Rosa and Martin.
The Dulles Greenway Wetlands has been home to two Bald Eagles since 2005. In 1995, TRIP II established a private 149-acre wetlands preserve in Leesburg, Virginia during the construction of the Dulles Greenway roadway to mitigate the loss of roughly 64 acres of federally protected wetlands. In 2021, we partnered with Dulles Greenway which is a privately owned toll road in Loudoun, VA (30 minutes outside of Wash DC). Today, the wetlands property is managed by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and utilized for local wildlife education.
Smoky Mountain Nest Cam
The Smoky Mountain Eagle Cam features the wild nest of Lady Independence & Sir Hatcher II. This Bald Eagle pair has an interesting history. Lady was hatched in the nest of Independence & Franklin in 2008, and Sir Hatcher II was released from AEF’s hack tower on Douglas Lake in 2012 after failing to fledge from his wild nest. Since this pair has relocated their nest to a very remote location, we no longer have cams on them but they are still seen and monitored by AEF staff.
Welaka Nest Cam
This cam is not operating currently. The Welaka Eagle Cam features the wild nest of two wild Bald Eagles living at the Welaka National Fish Hatchery in north central Florida. Records have been kept since 2016, and the pair has raised and successfully fledged eaglets each season since then. In 2020, 2 eaglets hatched and have already fledged the nest. As of April 1, 2020, the eaglets are making trips from and back to the nest and learning skills they will need in the wild.
Two cams were placed in their nest tree prior to the start of the 2020 season, but the eagles chose another tree for the season! Consequently, a third cam was installed on a pole closer to the new nest and in front of some of the fish ponds. Although we will not have the stellar views into the actual nest we had hoped for this season, we will be able to provide views of the eaglets, as well as their parents coming and going to and from the nest.
About Our Eagle Nest Cams
These Nest Cams provide unprecedented, high-definition insight into the Bald Eagle nesting process. At the beginning of nesting season, wild Bald Eagles return to their ‘home nest’ and begin ‘nestorations.’ Sticks are brought in to reinforce the nest structure, and soft nesting material is replenished to provide the protective nest “bowl” into which eggs will be laid. Normally, one to three eggs are laid and the incubation will take about 35 days on average. All eyes will be peeled for the first ‘pip’ or breakthrough of the egg shell by the eaglet inside. Then, thousands of viewers settle down to watch these eaglets grow and develop from downy bobble-heads to feisty and magnificent Eaglets, ready to take their first flight into what will be a steep learning curve of survival in the wild.
A moderated chat is embedded on all our cam pages. This feature allows viewers to comment and ask questions about the eagles and AEF. Knowledgeable and friendly moderators help guide the discussion and provide insight about the eagles’ behaviors. AEF also encourages students and groups who are studying eagles or related topics to reserve time in the chat to ask questions and learn from experts. This has been a hugely successful endeavor, and we have welcomed many classrooms with students of all ages.