We get many questions about the eagles at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Below are some of the more frequently asked. Check back as we add more.
Questions about the eagles at NBG
If I come to the Garden, will I be able to see the eagles?
While the eagle cam offers one of the best views of the nest, a visit to the Garden provides many more opportunities to see these birds. The nest is visible from several spots, including from NATO tower. Viewing scopes for the nest are available in both NATO tower and near the Tropical Garden. Visitors may see the eagles sitting in nearby trees and even flying overhead. This is one of the best ways to really appreciate the size of the eagles. We also have monitors in the visitor center that still allow viewing into the nest with the cam.
Where in the Garden is the nest?
The nest itself is in a loblolly pine tree located between Renaissance Court and the Matson garden. Our GPS system identifies the location as:
Latitude 36 deg 54 min 13.09396 sec north
longitude 76 deg 12 min 04.68904 sec west
To see the nest using Google Earth, use these coordinates:
Latitude 36 deg 54 min 13.0 sec north
Longitude 76 deg 12 min 4.92 sec west
How long have the eagles been nesting in the Garden?
The eagles began building their first nest in the fall of 2003. For a full history of the nest, see our Eagle Nest History page.
Where is the other eagle?
Both eagles do not stay around the nest all the time. An adult is usually around or on the nest only when there are eggs or young eaglets. The other one may be off hunting or doing other "eagle things." They often sit on branches near the nest, which may be out of camera view. On the right is an example of how the eagles may spend time. If the camera is focused on the nest, you would not see the eagle on the right.
When not on the nest at night, where do the eagles stay?
When they are incubating eggs, one adult will spend the night on the eggs in the nest. Generally an adult will also spend time on the nest when eaglets are very young. At other times, the two adult eagles will sleep elsewhere. When they are not in the nest tree, they are on a branch of a tree nearby. We know this because they have been seen there by night security, and because of the "white-wash" they have left on the ground under the branch.
How can you tell the male from the female?
The male is smaller than the female. In this photo on the right, the male is on the left and the female is on the right side of the picture. The female has one small dark feather in her head when viewed closer.
How old are they?
In 2010, The female is at least 13 years old and the male is at least 12 years old, although they could be older. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has been following these birds for some time.
Have you named the eagles?
When the eagles first built their nest here, we discussed the idea of naming them, but decided against doing so. Since they are wild birds, we do not want to encourage thinking of them as pets or to anthropomorphize them. Also, although all of our eaglets have survived to fledging, that’s not a guarantee every year. Giving them names could create more heartache for people. The disrupted nesting season in 2008 is a case in point. That said, a lot of other viewers have given them names and have shared them with us. In 2009, the middle eaglet was fitted with a satellite transmitter. For purposes of the tracking project, she is identified as "Azalea."
How big is the nest?
The nest is about 6 feet wide and four feet deep. Enough to hold 4-5 first grade children as shown in the photo on the right. This is an example created by local first graders. Estimates for the weight range from 600 to 800 lbs.
How high is the nest?
The nest is approximately 90 feet up in a loblolly pine tree.
Sometimes I see people and vehicles in the background. Are they supposed to be there? Will they bother the eagles?
A large portion of the area around the nest is closed to the public during the nesting season (Dec. 15-July 15). This is required by law. Because of the location of the camera in relation to the nest, the path you see in the background is several hundred feet from the nest. It is outside the exclusion zone and therefore visitors and staff are allowed to use the path. This use does not bother the eagles.
 Eagle nest from public path with cam on other side of nest |
 Eagle's nest with cam in the background |
What happened to the eaglet with the growth on its beak?
The eaglet with avian pox was removed from the nest in the spring of 2008. It was taken to the Wildlife Center of Virginia to recover and it lives there still, unable to be released to the wild because the growth permanently disfigured the beak. Learn more...
General questions about eagles
Is the bald eagle an endangered species?
The bald eagle was removed from the Endangered Species List on June 27, 2007. It is now protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USF&WS) developed the National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines in May 2007 to assist landowners, land managers, and others as to when and under what circumstances the provisions of the Eagle Act may apply. In Virginia responsibility for management of bald eagles is shared between the USF&WS and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
How big is an eagle?
Females have an average body length of 35-37 inches and an average wingspan of 79-90 inches.
Males have an average body length of 30-34 inches and an average wingspan of 72-85 inches.
They can weigh between 8 and 15 lbs.
Do eagles only lay eggs in the spring?
In Virginia bald eagles lay their eggs from early January to late March. There are records of eagles laying eggs in late December and early April, but that is unusual.
When will the eggs hatch?
Eggs generally hatch in 35-39 days after laying. This pair averages 37 days between laying and hatching
Are there other bald eagle nests in the area?
During the 2007 season there were 9 active and 2 inactive nests in what we refer to as Lower Tidewater. During the 2009 season a survey conducted by CCB of bald eagles determined there were 19 active and 2 inactive nests. The locations of these can be viewed at http://www.ccb-wm.org/virginiaeagles
Active nests location: 2 - Norfolk; 8 - Virginia Beach; 3 - Chesapeake; 6 - Suffolk
Do the eagles leave the area and if so where do they go?
This pair live in or around the Garden most of the year. Many other eagles do migrate out of the area. Juvenile eagles wander widely during their first four years as we have been able to observe because of the satellite transmitter fitted on a 2009 NBG eaglet named "Azalea" for tracking purposes by CCB biologists. Her travels can be followed at http://eagletrak.blogs.wm.edu.
How do we know how many bald eagles are nesting in Virginia?
In 1977 the Chesapeake Bay Bald Eagle Recovery Team was formed by the USF&WS to develop a recovery plan and monitor the population of the bald eagle. In Virginia, Dr. Mitchell Byrd at the College of William and Mary initiated a systematic survey. That survey continues today by the Center for Conservation Biology at W&M and measures breeding activity and productivity by a two-flight method and ground observations where flights are restricted. The first flight occurs in late February and March, and the second flight takes place in late April through May. In 2007 there were 560 occupied territories and 524 active nests that produced 737 bald eagle chicks. In 2009 there were 640 territories, 610 active nests and 820 chicks.
Questions about the cam
Why can't I get the cam to work?
There may be several reasons the cam will not work:
- A broadband connection is required
- The Eagle Cam uses Windows Media Player. Any recent version of the player should display the image but try upgrading to the latest version to see if that helps.
- The Windows Media Player requires an Active X plug-in to work. If you see a white box and a red X, make sure this plug-in is running.
- In the Windows Media Player options, under network settings, disable all network protocols except HTTP by unchecking the boxes. That seems to help many people with connection problems.
- If you can see the cam at home but not at work (or school) your network administrator may have blocked this type of broadcast. Talk to them and explain the importance of viewing this cam. Sometimes cookies or brownies will help.
- Sometimes the broadcast from the Garden is interrupted. Transmitting the images from the nest to the internet requires a variety of equipment in an outdoor setting and the signal can be interrupted causing the cam to go down. Garden staff monitors the transmission and will work to fix it as soon as possible. We will post notices if we anticipate a long outage.
Who is operating the cam?
Three people operate the cam - a wildlife biologist with Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries, a research associate with The Center for Conservation Biology at The College of William and Mary, and for special events a staff member at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Between them, we are able to keep a pretty good eye on the NBG eagle activities.
How does the cam see at night?
The sensor on the cam is capable of seeing in the infrared spectrum. During the day, a filter cuts out the infrared light allowing only light in the "visible" spectrum to be seen. At night the filter is removed, allowing the cam to see using the infrared light. In addition, an infrared light placed below the cam can be turned on, providing extra light for the cam to "see" with. This infrared light does not bother the eagles.
Does the light bother the eagles?
No, the eagles do not see the infrared light.
Are you recording this?
We do not have enough memory on our servers to continuously record all the action. We can record two to three days of video footage before older segments are dumped. We try to save certain segments that are particularly interesting if we are aware the event. Cam operators will snap stills when they can.