Lone eaglet spotted flying with parents after falling from PA bald eagle's nest

HANOVER, Pa. (WJAC) — The lone eaglet to a pair of Pennsylvania Bald Eagles left the nest over Memorial Day weekend and has since been spotted flying with its parents, according to Raptor Ecology Specialist Zoey Greenburg.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has been partnering with HDOnTAP and Comcast Business to offer a live look at the Hanover eagles' nest in York County.

Greenburg says the eaglet fell from the tree Sunday afternoon, but ground viewers spotted the young raptor alive and well on a lower branch nearby.

She says they’ve since heard reports that the eaglet was seen flying with its parents towards a nearby lake.

“A picturesque ending to this 2021 season,” Greenburg wrote in the Hanover Eagle Blog.

The eaglet hatched in March from one of two eggs that were laid in February.

The second egg was deemed nonviable.

Being the only eaglet in the nest, the young bird likely got to eat more food than it otherwise would have which could’ve helped it grow faster, Greenburg said.

Researchers say, even though the eaglet has left the nest, it will still depend on its parents for food for about 6 weeks.

The Game Commission says bald eagles are no longer considered endangered or threatened, but they’re still protected and one of the main dangers they face is lead in the environment.

People can help reduce the threat by choosing non-lead ammunition when hunting or by burying carcasses and gut piles, so they’re not eaten.

Overall, there are more than 300 nests in Pennsylvania today, the game commission says.

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