Bridget Reed Morawski
WMAL
If you can’t get enough of the National Zoo’s panda cams, you’re in luck. The National Arboretum now offers a live feed to a pair of mating bald eagles.
Nicknamed “Mr. President” and “The First Lady,” the two love birds are expecting two eaglets in the coming weeks. The eggs are expected to hatch approximately 35 days after being laid.
And what a place to call home. The bald eagles are nestled high in the canopy of a Tulip Poplar within the National Arboretum, a chunk of real estate that the American Eagle Foundation says was an excellent choice.
“Eagles choose what they want to choose,” said Julia Cecere, an American Eagle Foundation spokeswoman. “These eagles just happened to come to DC and choose the most beautiful location in Washington.”
Although bald eagles were once considered endangered, the species was removed from the Endangered Species Act in 2007, according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service. The eagles are still protected by a number of environmental protection acts, which aim to prevent harm and promote conservation.
“The AEF is building our educational nest cam program,” said Cecere. “We have found that it is such a wonderful medium to educate the public when we can reach them, by them sitting in front of their computers.”
The webcam can be accessed 24 hours a day, with two different angles available. The high-definition cameras are able to provide both the public and researchers with access that previously was difficult to come by.
“It’s become such a wonderful way to gain new information about the nesting habits of bald eagles,” said Cecere.”And then the coolest part is being able to watch the hatching of the eaglets, and it’s just a really cool thing that has never been able to be witnessed in the wild.”
This isn’t the first time these eagles have been seen at the National Arboretum. The pair successfully raised one eaglet last year.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: National Arboretum’s Eagle Webcam)
