Duke Farms Eagle Cam
Welcome to the Eagle Cam, a collaboration with Duke Farms, to help raise awareness for nesting bald eagles in New Jersey.
Bald Eagles are extremely sensitive to human disturbance. At no time should anyone approach nesting eagles. People who want to observe or photograph eagles and who come too close may actually cause the birds to abandon a nest.
Located on Duke Farms in central New Jersey, the Eagle Cam allows viewers an up close and personal view into the lives of a pair of bald eagles as they breed, incubate, and raise young. It is a perfect tool for teaching about wildlife and covers a variety of topics including animal behavior, bird biology and natural history, endangered species, food webs, contamination, and MORE!
First egg laid Jauary 17 at 3:47pm
second egg laid January 20th
First egg hatched 2/24/22; 1:30 pm
Second egg hatched 3/1/22 (chick died 3/9/22)
H17 fledged at 6:43am May 18th, 2022
Zoom+ H17 fledged at 6:43am, May 18th, 2022
May 16th, 2022
Data from Banding on April 11th, 2022
federal band (silver) 0709-06549 State band (green) H17 (right leg)
Measurements:
Culmen Length (mm): 44.4
Bill Depth (mm): 30.6
wing-8th primary (mm): 203
Tarsus (mm): 16.3 avg
Hallux Claw (mm): 35.9
weight (kg): 3.22
blood collected 10ml
May 10th, 2022
H17 is ten weeks old and very active in the nest. This afternoon he has been hopping around the nest, flapping and perched out on a branch. Eagle chicks usually fledge between 11-12 weeks, so H17 is strengthening his wing muscles in preparation for flight.
Zoom+ May 10th, 2022
Nest monitor, Diane Cook captured these screenshots of him on May 5th. He is "branching" which means he's perching on the branches out of the nest. She also saw the female bring a fish into the nest and H17 mantled, he spread his wings to protect the food and even nipped at the female but finally let her have the fish to feed to him.
Zoom+ May 5th, 2022: H17 Branching
Zoom+ May 5th, 2022: H17 mantling over food
April 15th, 2022
Many cam viewers were concerned that the female had not been to the nest since the banding on Monday. Nest Monitor Diane Cook went out this morning to view the nest from the ground at a safe distance and sighted the female close to the nest. She wrote the following:
The live cam is a great window into the intimate world of a Bald Eagle couple. It is easy to think we see it all when watching a live cam, but there is so much more happening outside the view of this window.
The Duke Farms female has not been seen on the live cam since the team from the NJ Fish & Wildlife, Endangered & Nongame Species Program banded H17. Where is she? What happened to her? During banding the adults are always nearby, circling overhead, watching, and vocalizing. Most return to the nest as soon as the banding crew moves out. The Duke Farms male, Dad, is not new to this activity, and has returned as usual. This was the first experience for the female, Mom. What are we not seeing through the cam view? It was the gut feeling of many on the team that she was nearby, but out of sight.
Sometimes no amount of zooming out and panning of the cam, can show you all that is happening. As the monitor of this nest, I was asked to do some field observing as most other monitors must do. It did not take long to spot them both! I watched as the pair fly around their territory, then return to the nest area. They sat as cozy as you please, side by side, on a branch near the nest, but above and out of the cam's eye. I did not stay long, there is no hiding from an eagle's eyes, even from a distance, and I did not want to disrupt this family. All is well at the nest. Both adults are nearby, keeping the nestling fed and safe. Thanks to fellow volunteer Barb Mckee for joining me.
Duke Farms adult at nest April 15th, 2022: photo by Diane Cook
Duke Farms female April 15th, 2022: photo by Diane Cook
April 11th, 2022
Today the NJ Fish & Wildlife, Endangered & Nongame Species Program and the banding team, visited the Duke Farms nest tree. John Heilferty with ENSP climbed the tree and once he is at the nest and tied in, he puts a hood over the chicks head to keep it calm and wraps the feet in vet wrap. The chick is then lowered to the ground in a bag. Blood samples are taken as well as measurements which determined that he is a male. He was banded with a NJ green band (H/17) on the right leg and a silver federal band (0709-06549) on the left leg.
People ask what the adult eagles do during the banding. NJ Eagle Project volunteer Diane Cook was at the banding and said:
"Mom and Dad circled the skies above us, as usual. They watched from very high above, but hardly made a sound. Towards the end of banding we heard them cry, and looked up to see a young eagle Mom and Dad were more concerned about the eagle than us."
The chick was placed back in the nest along with some fish. The adults returned to the nest and all is well.
April 11th, 2022 photo by Diane Cook
Zoom+ Duke Farms nest tree photo by: Diane Cook
Zoom+ Dr. Erica Miller & Kathy Clark, ENSP weigh the chick; photo by: Diane Cook
Zoom+ Duke Farms adult, April 11th, 2022 photo by: Diane Cook
Zoom+ Banding team April 11th, 2022 photo by: Diane Cook
bands April 11th, 2022 photo by: Diane Cook
April 5th, 2022
The chick will be six weeks of age on April 7th. It is quite active walking around the nest, stretching and flapping it's wings. The nest will be visited on April 11th by Fish & Wildlife ENSP biologists. The chick will be banded, measurements and blood samples taken. The camera live stream will be turned off during the banding.
Zoom+ April 5, 2022
March 25th, 2022
The chick is now four weeks old. In the below photo you can see the chick’s large yellow feet. Both their feet and bills will grow to adult size first, giving them a slightly awkward appearance until their bodies catch up. You can also see the chicks full crop in the below photo. The crop is the pouch on an eagles chest where extra food is stored.
Zoom+ March 24, 2022
Pin feathers are starting to develop, you can see the dark feather tips at the end of the tail, back and edge of wings. Pin feather is a term for newly forming feathers. As each feather develops, it is encased in a thin shaft of waxy keratin (like your fingernails), which will eventually fall off or be pulled off by the eaglet this allows the new feather to unfurl and grow to its full size. For the next few weeks the chicks will have a mixture of down and feathers. By eight weeks of age they will be almost fully feathered.
Eagle fact: Adult eagles can have around 7,000 feathers on their bodies.
Zoom+ March 24th, 2022
March 9th, 2022
Unfortunately, the second chick doesn’t appear to be doing well and didn’t get any food yesterday. It appears he has health problems that we cannot know about. Usually, a smaller chick will do fine as long as there's plenty of food, like there is in this nest. So, we suspect there is an underlying problem the chick was born with.
It is difficult to watch and while we still hold out a small hope that this little one rallies, the reality doesn’t look good. We can be glad that this pair still has one healthy chick. This type of situation goes on in eagles’ nests all over the state, we just don’t witness it up close. The eagle’s comeback in NJ from a single nesting pair in 1980 to more than 200 pairs today is a success story and a tribute to habitat and conservation work by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife. Watching nature on a camera is a raw experience but shows the full and often hard circle of life in nature. While seeing a non-flourishing chick is hard for us as viewers, it is important to understand that overall, the species population is rising. Intervening in a nest situation has the potential to do more harm than good, because it would disturb the adults, disrupt normal behavior, and could risk the health and safety of this eagle family. As such, the state will not intervene with what are deemed natural situations in the nest.
We appreciate everyone’s concern and understanding.
Thank you -- Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, NJ DEP - Endangered & Nongame Species Program, Duke Farms
March 7th, 2022
In the below screen shot you can see the dramatic size difference between the two chicks. The second chick hatched 4.5 days after the first chick hatched. This explains the size difference. The older chick is larger and stronger and makes sure to get fed first. Though it may seem like the older chick is getting all of the food, the younger chick is getting fed and there is plenty of food being brought to the nest.
Zoom+ March 7, 2022
March 1st, 2022
Zoom+ The second chick hatched
February 28, 2022
The second egg has begun to hatch.
Zoom+ 2nd egg hatching 4:31pm, 2_28_22
February 25th, 2022
The chicks first night was a rough one with an icy/snow storm. Eagle Project volunteer Diane Cook kept a close eye on the happenings at the nest this morning.
"It is not the best of morning's to get out from Mom's skirts for breakfast, but a hungry chick does what a hungry chick must. Mom's umbrella was up and doing all she could do to keep her newly hatched chick and last egg warm and dry in the icy rain this morning. She did her best to keep a squirmy chick under wraps. When a break in the weather came, Mom served breakfast. In past years, she did not seem very adept at feeding a chick so young. She did better with the older nestlings. This female seems to have learned. She fed her chick its first meal seemingly with ease."
Zoom+ first feeding 2_25_22
A pip was seen in the egg on February 23rd.
On February 24th The egg tooth could be seen breaking the shell at 11:30am.
Zoom+ egg tooth; 2/24/22;11:04am
In another hour (12:08pm) the chick was half way out of the egg shell.
Zoom+ 2/24/22; 12:08pm
At 1:30 pm the chick could be seen out of the shell but still slightly hidden under the adult.
A good look at the newly hatched chicked
Zoom+ 2/24/22 chick and egg
Zoom+ first egg: January 17th, 2022
December 16th, 2021
The camera is back up and running. Thank you to the staff at Duke Farm's.
2021 Nesting Season
Fledged 5/16- both chicks
1 chick hatched- 2/26
2 chick hatched- 3/1
First egg laid: January 17th@ 2:46pm
Second egg laid: January 20th @2:49 pm
Third egg laid: January 23rd @ 5:20 pm
estimated hatch: 1st egg- February, 21st
estimated hatch: 2nd egg- February, 24th
estimated hatch: 3rd egg-February 27th
>> Read our e-book: Duke Farms' Bald Eagles
In 2019 for the first time a transmitter was placed on a chick from the Duke Farms Eagle Cam nest.
Duke, NJ band E/88, was one of two chicks in the 2019 nest. The nest was visited by biologists on May 25th. During the visit the chicks were banded, measured and the transmitter was attached to Duke. He fledged on June 15th. He made his first move away from the nest area on August 12th. On August 24th he headed south to the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland. He spent September ranging around that area. He moved up to PA on October 15th and headed back to MD on October 19th, where he remains.
Duke's movements can be followed on Eagle Trax.
Disqus interaction has been removed as we determine a better way to watch and communicate with other viewers.
Duke Farms Nesting Season 2021
third egg laid-1/23/21 @ 5:20 pm
Zoom+ 3 egg clutch, January 23rd
second egg laid- 1/20/21 @ 2:49pm
Zoom+ Second egg, 1/20/21
First egg laid - 1/17/21 @ 2:46pm
Zoom+ January 20, 2021
The Duke Farms pair has been seen frequently working on the nest. Nest Monitor Diane Cook, reported that they mated and spent the night at the nest tree.
Zoom+ November 18, 2020 pair working on nest
Zoom+ November 21, 2020, pair matingThe 2020 Duke Farm eagle cam updates are archived in a PDF document and you can access it via this Google Drive link.
DUKE FARMS EAGLE CAM FAQ’S
How long have eagles been nesting at Duke Farms?
The eagle nest at Duke Farms was first discovered in the fall of 2004. The pair started using the nest in 2005. In the fall of 2012 Hurricane Sandy's 70+ mph tore off the upper half of the nest tree, destroying the nest completely (the camera and camera tree were spared). The pair built a new nest 100ft south of the eagle camera in late December 2012. The view of the nest was limited by branches and leaves during the 2013 nesting season.
In what type of tree is the nest located?
In December 2012 the pair built a new nest in a sycamore tree.
How high is the nest?
The nest is about 80 feet high.
How long has the camera been at the nest?
Zoom+ Duke Farms eagle nest camera.
The camera was set up in 2008 and transmitted the picture beginning in March 2008. In the fall of 2013 the camera was moved to the new nest tree.
Where is the camera located?
The camera is in the nest tree positioned above to view the nest from above. The camera can be maneuvered remotely to pan, tilt and zoom.
How many young have been raised in this nest?
A total of 25 eagle chicks have been raised and fledged from this nest since 2005.
2005- 1 chick
2006- 2 chicks
2007- 1 chick
2008- 2 chicks
2009- 3 chicks
2010- 2 chicks
2011- 2 chicks
2012- 1 chick
2013- 2 chicks
2014- 3 chicks
2015- 2 chicks
2016- 2 chicks
2017- didn't incubate
2018- failed, 2eggs
2019- 2 chicks
2020- 2 chicks
When do the birds start incubating?
In 2020, the pair started incubating on January 20th.
Are the adult eagles banded?
In 2009 and 2010 it was noted that both the male and female were NJ- banded birds, because they each had a green color band on one leg and a silver federal band on the other. In 2011, however, there was a new female in the pair, which we know because she was not banded.
Have any of the chicks been banded?
Yes, the chicks were banded in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014,2016 & 2019.
2007- 1 chick- male
2009- 3 chicks- males
2010- 2 chicks-females
2011- 2 chicks- males
2014- 3 chicks- 2 males, 1 female
2016- 2 chicks- females
2019- 2 chicks- 1 male, 1 female
How is the eagle cam funded?
Duke Farms hosts the eagle camera and the internet connection. The Endangered and Nongame Species Program and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ support their work and conduct the on-site banding and provide biological consulting.
How many eagle nests are in NJ?
In 2020 there were 248 nesting eagle pairs monitored in New Jersey. Two hundred twenty of these were active (laid eggs) and 179 were successful in producing 307 young.
Learn More
Adopt a Species - Bald Eagle:
 | Adopt a Species - Bald eagle - 197.5KB |
Bald Eagle Project Reports:
2020 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report
| 2019 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report - 1.1MB |
| 2018 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report - 5.2MB |
| 2017 Bald Eagle Project Report - 937.9KB |
| 2016 Bald Eagle Project Report - 1.4MB |
| 2015 Bald Eagle Project Report - 2.2MB |
| 2014 Bald Eagle Project Report - 4.8MB |
| 2013 Bald Eagle Project Report - 1.0MB |
| 2012 Bald Eagle Project Report - 1.3MB |
| 2011 Bald Eagle Project Report - 842.7KB |
| 2010 Bald Eagle Project Report - 534.7KB |
| 2009 Bald Eagle Project Report - 430.8KB |
Duke Farm Eagle Cam Updates:
Duke Farms 2020 Eagle Cam Updates
 | 2019 Duke Farm Eagle Cam Updates - 1.7MB |
| 2018 Duke Farms Eagle Cam Updates - 11KB |
| 2017 Duke Farms Eagle Cam Nest Updates - 203.4KB |
| 2015 Eagle Cam Nest Updates - 701.0KB |
| 2014 Eagle Cam Nest Updates - 210.8KB |
| 2013 EagleCam Nest Updates - 19.8KB |
| 2011 EagleCam Nest Updates - 59.8KB |
| 2010 Eagle Cam Nest Updates - 31.0KB |
Find Related Info: Bald Eagles, Raptors
The Return of Bald Eagles in New Jersey Story Map
Use interactive web-mapping and multi-media to learn about the recovery of bald eagles in New Jersey between 1985 & 2015.
Educators!
Download lesson plans and activities to enhance your use of the EagleCam in the classroom! Download fun facts about bald eagles, activities about raptors, journaling pages for students, and MUCH MORE!