Bald eagle pair welcomes three eggs one year after first-time dad killed two babies

A bald eagle mating pair in West Virginia is now incubating three eggs following a tragic season last year in which the first-time dad showed “unexpected behavior.”

Many fans of the 22-year-old bald eagle nest, which has seen different eagle pairs come and go over the years, were stunned when the dad ate his two eaglets in 2024, McClatchy News reported.

The incident at Bella and Scout’s nest unfolded in real-time on the livestream of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center campus in West Virginia, about a 75-mile drive northwest from Washington, D.C.

“While rare at this nest, the young male (around 4.5 years old), seemed confused,” moderators shared. “He was rough with the eaglet and ultimately consumed the hatchling. This behavior, while heartbreaking, has been observed in other nests and is not uncommon in birds of prey.”

A couple days later, the second eaglet hatched, and Scout did the same thing.

With no surviving chicks from Bella and Scout’s first season together, many are hopeful for a different outcome this time around, keeping a close eye on Scout.

“Really hoping he has matured a lot since the tragic events last season,” one eagle watcher wrote on Facebook.

Bella laid her first egg of the season Feb. 10, the second Feb. 13 and the third Feb. 16, the National Conservation Training Center announced.

Scout has gained tentative approval in his first week on the job in his sophomore nesting season.

“Scout is doing a much better job of Dad this year so far,” one viewer observed.

Even as snow blanketed the nest, the eagle parents have taken turns sitting on their eggs around the clock as the eggs incubate for 35 to 38 days, according to wildlife officials. The female typically sits on the eggs overnight due to her larger body size.

Although many people are pulling for Bella and Scout, some are wondering if Scout might once again harm the chicks. One watcher asked if the National Conservation Training Center will be able to intervene if Scout eats another one of his eaglets.

Only about 70% of bald eagles make it to their first birthday, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They face threats such as disease, predators, weather and lack of food, and those challenges have played out in other nests that have a camera and viewers.

Another bald eagle pair in Florida lost both of their chicks to avian flu in quick succession in January, leaving fans grieving, McClatchy News previously reported.

If all goes well, the three eaglets in West Virginia will hatch in mid-March and set out on their own in the fall.

This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 8:06 AM with the headline "Bald eagle pair welcomes three eggs one year after first-time dad killed two babies."