Bald eagles of Virginia web-cam fame suffer tragic loss

Fans and supporters of a popular bald eagle web-cam observation project run by Virginia's Norfolk Botanical Gardens are bemoaning the loss of an adult female eagle that was struck and killed Tuesday by an airplane as it approached Norfolk International Airport.

Confirmation that the stricken bird was, in fact, one of two adult eagles raising three nestlings that hatched in mid-March was made Wednesday by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Because the adult male eagle probably would not be able to care for the eaglets by himself, they were carefully gathered up and delivered to the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

The eaglets, which had been admired by more than 5 million web-cam viewers, will be reared by rehabilitation specialists with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. Stephen Living, a state wildlife biologist, said that without intervention it'd be "all but certain that one or more of the eaglets would not survive the next three months."

Living added: "Pulling the birds and sending them to the Wildlife Center gives them their best chance. The birds are already old enough to know that they are eagles and to recognize their siblings. Maintaining them as a family unit and releasing them together when they are ready to go will certainly improve their survivor potential."

This has been the season of the Eagle Cam. A similar project in Decorah, Iowa, has garnered 50 million views over the past several months, with popularity soaring after three eggs hatched during the first week of April. Those eaglets are growing fast and so far have been well cared for by both parents.

The Decorah Eagle Cam is operated by the Raptor Resource Project, which on Wednesday posted this statement on its Facebook page: "RRP wishes to extend sympathy again to the eagle family in Norfolk, and those associated with that project."

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens Eagle Cam, which is hosted by WVEC 13 in Norfolk, had 5 million unique views during March alone. On Wednesday morning, as moderators answered questions about the plight of the eaglets, there were about 15,000 views at a given moment.

Julia Dixon, a spokeswoman for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said agency staff and fans from around the world have developed "a strong attachment" to the eagle family, but assured that the nestlings' immediate future remains bright.

Dixon also said that biologists expect the adult male to find another mate fairly quickly, and to utilize the same nest. Aside from being in the proximity of aircraft, she added, it's surrounded by wilderness that supports a bountiful supply of prey.

-- Image of adult female bald eagle before it was killed by an airplane strike is courtesy of Duane Noblick. Image of eagle chicks before they were removed from their nest is courtesy of Julian Finch

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Around the world have developed "a strong attachment" to the eagle family, but assured that the nestlings' immediate future remains bright.
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