Nest camera captures baby eagle’s death after California snowstorm, nonprofit says

Thousands have tuned into livestream video of a bald eagle nest for weeks, to watch as two baby birds hatched in Big Bear Lake, California, and their mother began to raise them.

But Monday, following a “tough” storm that left the mother eagle crusted in snow, one of the eaglets died, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that broadcasts the video. Nest camera footage shows the other eagles moving around as the young eagle’s body lies motionless in the middle of the nest.

The eagle that died was called Cookie — a name the animal was given by kindergarteners in Santa Ana who won a naming contest, KTLA reports.

“He was up earlier but looked weak,” the nonprofit wrote in a Facebook post announcing the 6-week-old bird’s death. “He also seemed less energetic yesterday.”

Friends of Big Bear Valley added that a doctor was consulted and said “hypothermia was likely the cause ... Cookie was not moving much and hardly breathing earlier.” The U.S. Forest Service also confirmed the bird’s death in a Facebook post.

“Both (baby eagles) appeared to be healthy and looked good” during a checkup on Friday, said San Bernardino National Forest spokesman Zach Behrens, according to the San Bernardino Sun. “Then that storm came Sunday.”

The weekend storm began with rain, which dampened the feathers of the mother eagle, Jackie — meaning that when it began to snow and temperatures dropped, frozen precipitation clung to the birds, according to the nonprofit.

“The chicks weren’t able to fit fully underneath her yesterday and last night,” the nonprofit said.

AccuWeather meteorologists said such a storm in May is “rare,” noting that heavy snowfall in the mountains of Southern California means ski resorts there will stay open late.

Early Monday before Cookie’s death, Friends of Big Bear Valley shared a clip from the livestream showing the birds waking up and shaking the snow off.

The nonprofit wrote that “the kiddos are taking a nap” as their parents went to find breakfast, though it did appear in the video that one eagle was much more active than the other.

Cookie’s sibling, Simba, appears to be doing well, the nonprofit said.

Less than half of bald eagles live to be a year old, according to the U.S. Forest Service, so Cookie’s death wasn’t an anomaly. But the early date the eggs were laid may have hurt their chances at survival, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.

“With elevation of Big Bear, the nest timing should be more similar to Alaska with egg laying in April (not in January, February, or March),” the nonprofit said. “Such early egg laying at this elevation exposes them to a lot of bad weather.”

The bird’s body will be left in the nest.

“Typically when a chick dies in the nest, it gets moved off to the side or buried by new nesting material. Climbing the tree again to retrieve the body is unlikely,” the group said. “We are mourning with all the rest of you. Nature can be very tough.”

This story was originally published May 27, 2019 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Nest camera captures baby eagle’s death after California snowstorm, nonprofit says."