Update: The first egg hatched March 27, 2012. (Get a glimpse of the “D12″). Update: March 29, 2012 - Here’s footage of the emergence of “D13.” Stay tuned!

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Feb. 17, 2012: First egg is delivered (watch video)
Feb. 20, 2012: Second egg is delivered (watch video)
Feb 24, 2012: Third egg is delivered (watch video)

Who operates and maintains this eagle cam?

The Raptor Resource Project maintains the cams, of which there are two. The feed is streamed online 24/7. Both are positioned on one of the nest’s supporting limbs about 4-5 feet above the nest. The main cam is automated and is trained on the nest. The other cam has pan-tilt-zoom capabilities. At dark the main cam switches to infrared (invisible to the eagles) night-time view.

More Frequently Asked Questions About the Eagle Cam

See these frequently asked questions answered by the Raptor Resource Center.

How big is the nest?
5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons.

How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?
No.

Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, 3 more in 2010, and 3 more in 2011.

What is the area around the nest like?
The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa.

Who does the panning, tilting, and zooming, and when does that happen?
Bob Anderson, Executive Director of Raptor Resource Project, switches to the pan-tilt-zoom cam when time and weather permit, and especially when there appears to be interesting activity in the nest.

What is the Raptor Resource Project?
Established in 1988, the non-profit Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. They establish and strengthen breeding populations of these raptors by creating, improving, and maintaining nests and nest sites. In addition to directly managing more than 23 falcon, eagle, and owl nest sites, the Raptor Resource Center provides training in nest site creation and management across the United States, reaching more than 85,000 people each year through lectures, education programs, and the web, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the world around them. Check out the links to cams of many of the raptor nests that RRP manages.

Related Links

• Read an interview with Robert Anderson, the Director of the Raptor Resource Project, who helped set up the famous UStream video footage of the Decorah Bald Eagle, the #1 most watched live video stream of all time.
• Learn more about bald eagles from National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Library and find out how they are an Endangered Species Act success story.

Clint Henderson

I recently had the pleasure to speak with Robert Anderson, the Director of the Raptor Resource Project, a non-profit wildlife preservation organization famous for its bird cams. The Raptor Resource Project has come a long way and in their 33 years of operation has gone from “breeding falcons” to “wildlife education.”

Decorah Bald Eagles (UStream screen shot)

Since then, the Raptor Resource Project has added a redtail hawk cam, the first ever turkey vulture cam, and supplanted the older bald eagle equipment with high definition cameras from 2M CCTV, which Bob says has “improved the video capability by light years.”  They are also in the midst of setting up two peregrine cams. , which Bob says has “improved the video capability by light years.” They are also in the midst of setting up two peregrine cams.

State-of-the-Art Technology

Bob Anderson and I discussed the technical aspects of his setup as well as the influence this footage has had on people across the globe. Bob has worked alongside Xcel Energy with bird cams at their plants across the country but, unfortunately, the limited bandwidth was causing streaming problems. In 2009 they decided it was time to start a new bird cam project.

With the assistance of Amy Reis, the webmaster at RRP, they integrated their 24/7 video feed with UStream, which now airs a stable of their high resolution live bird cam feeds. They use Adobe Flash Media Encoder, software used to stream audio and video in real time, to maintain high-quality streaming. Power flickers and other technical issues are alleviated with help from the UStream technicians, who work together with the techs that do the bird cams. Bob Anderson states, “They’ve been very cooperative. It would not be what it is today without UStream.”

The cameras used to record video are mostly PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) cameras from KT&C. These cameras can capture night time video, as well as day time, through the use of the cameras’ infrared technology. The KT&C KPT-ON10T is the camera used for the footage of the Decorah Bald Eagle at UStream.

Bumps in the Road

I asked Mr. Anderson how he has dealt with various issues that his team has encountered since they’ve started recording wildlife footage. He says, “Every situation is different. You need to make sure an electrical power source is nearby, or you may need to use solar powered cameras. You also need to take weather into account.” For instance, the PTZ camera will sometimes make noise when panning if the temperatures fall below 10F. Another consideration is the proximity of the cameras to the birds and their nest. “There was a slight issue with a poop-covered lens on two of our cameras. So now we monitor the nests from up higher to prevent such a mess,” Bob says.

The Work Pays off: Eagles are an Online Sensation

There is year-round interaction on the Decorah Eagle Cam video page with students, teachers, and other bird enthusiasts using UStream’s Check-in & Chat feature, even when there is very little action in the nest itself. Video views start to increase in early January, when there are increased visits to the nest and views skyrocket in early April when the eggs hatch.

I asked Bob what has been the most amazing footage captured to date. He replied, “The most stunning footage we captured to DVD is the 3rd egg hatching in great light. National Geographic will be using this footage in an upcoming documentary on the Mississippi River.” Bob enthusiastically states, “In total, there have been 186 [of the 196] countries in the world that have tuned in to watch the Decorah Eagle Cam.”

Mr. Anderson says he was shocked and encouraged at the impact the birdcams have had on people’s lives everywhere. It has affected many people in many different ways. It has made people with disabilities forget about their illnesses. It has given residents in nursing homes a reason to get up in the morning. Many classrooms have the video stream up constantly for students to see. Bob states, “The Decorah Eagle Cam is the single most important wildlife education effort on planet Earth.”

The efforts of the Raptor Resource Project and Director Bob Anderson have strengthened raptor populations and stimulated participation in raptor preservation internationally. Many have witnessed the active enthusiasm online and how viral this has become. The Birdcam community at the RRP even worked together to get a Decorah Eagle design on a NASCAR Sprint Cup car! Check it out, it’s pretty slick! (Link takes some time to load)

Who operates and maintains this eagle cam?

The Raptor Resource Project maintains the cams, of which there are two. The feed is streamed online 24/7. Both are positioned on one of the nest’s supporting limbs about 4-5 feet above the nest. The main cam is automated and is trained on the nest. The other cam has pan-tilt-zoom capabilities. At dark the main cam switches to infrared (invisible to the eagles) night-time view. Watch this slide show of the eagle cam installation in fall 2010 >>

More Frequently Asked Questions About the Eagle Cam

See these frequently asked questions answered by the Raptor Resource Center:

How high is the nest?
About 80 feet.

How big is the nest?
5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons.

How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?
No.

Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, and 3 more in 2010.

What is the area around the nest like?
The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa.

Where can I see pictures and videos of these eagles?
The Raptor Resource Project provides an archive of daily views of the nest over the immediate 24-hour period, taken every 2 minutes. Click on Eagle Dailies.

Who does the panning, tilting, and zooming, and when does that happen?
Bob Anderson, Executive Director of Raptor Resource Project, switches to the pan-tilt-zoom cam when time and weather permit, and especially when there appears to be interesting activity in the nest.

What is the Raptor Resource Project?
Established in 1988, the non-profit Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. They establish and strengthen breeding populations of these raptors by creating, improving, and maintaining nests and nest sites. In addition to directly managing more than 23 falcon, eagle, and owl nest sites, the Raptor Resource Center provides training in nest site creation and management across the United States, reaching more than 85,000 people each year through lectures, education programs, and the web, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the world around them. Check out the links to cams of many of the raptor nests that RRP manages.

Symbolically Adopt a Bald Eagle

Help National Wildlife Federation in its efforts to protect the bald eagle and its habitat by adopting an eagle. Your adoption will go toward supporting NWF’s efforts with wildlife conservation, education and more. Adoption packages include a certificate, poster, bald eagle plush and more.

Adopt a bald eagle >>

Related Links

• Learn more about bald eagles and the threats they face >>
• Read an interview with the “father” of the Decorah Eagle Nest Cam.
• For more about the egg incubation process, read this great RRC blog.