Single egg in Hays bald eagle nest breaks
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- There will be no eaglet at the Hays nest this spring after the couple's single egg broke sometime overnight.
An eagle was seen incubating the egg as recently as 7 a.m. Tuesday, but when it stood up, it quickly realized that the egg was broken, the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania said.
"So there's a number of reasons that an egg might not be viable," said Rachel Handel, the communications director of the Audobon Society of Western Pennsylvania. "The most I guess obvious is that the egg was never fertile to begin with. When the egg would have just been laid, they would have incubated it. And then, if the development of the egg didn't happen then, eventually that egg is just going to collapse in on itself."
A few people watching the eagle cam Monday night noticed what they described as a flat spot on the egg. So Handel says it's not a situation where the eagle could accidentally crack the egg.
"The developing embryo would keep the egg in its intact form, which kind of leads us to think that perhaps there was something wrong with the embryo development," Handel said.
Handel says this momma is experienced. She's been laying eggs for 10 years, with only one or two not working out.
"There was one year where the tree, the nest tree, actually fell down in a windstorm, and she and her partner hastily rebuilt a nest, had an egg, and still managed to raise an eaglet that particular year. So she is a great mom, and she is very skilled at raising her young," Handel says.
The adults have stopped incubation, and as of noon, they weren't in their nest. The Audobon Society says this season was the first year of the birds' pairing. The original male disappeared in September and a new male replaced him shortly after.
It's unlikely that the pair will attempt to have a new clutch this year because of how much time has passed since the first egg was laid, the Audobon Society said. Even though it's upsetting for everyone who closely watches the nest, Handel says the eagles seem to immediately move forward.
"When the bird actually stood up this morning and looked down at the egg, after incubating it overnight, you could tell that there was awareness that something was not right with the egg, and almost immediately the bird just flew off the nest. I think it was a very quick realization of what happened and a realization that it's time to move on from this. This didn't work out. But there's always next year," Handel said.
Last year there were two eggs in the nest, and both hatched. The Audobon Society has been tracking the nest in Pittsburgh's Hays neighborhood since 2013 and broadcasting the action on a livestream since 2014.
Even though there's no egg in the nest, the parents will be back soon and the camera will stay up.
Meanwhile, there are still two eggs in the eagle nest at the U.S. Steel Irvin plant. The second egg was laid in early March, and the Audobon Society says eagles will typically incubate their eggs for 35 days. Beyond eagles, birdwatchers are also keeping an eye on the eggs in the Cathedral of Learning's peregrine falcon nest, where the couple there has laid three eggs.