LAKE PLEASANT, Ariz. - Folks at the Arizona Game and Fish Department are crossing their fingers after a bald eagle pair at Lake Pleasant laid their second egg.
The AZGFD, which is streaming live video of the nest online, said the second egg was laid around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24—just one day after a pair of ravens ate the first one while the bald eagle parents were away.
The eggs are the first for this new pair of bald eagles. The previous male was bested by another bird early into the breeding season.
But biologists say the new male has much to learn about protecting vulnerable eggs.
AZGFD raptor management coordinator Kenneth Jacobson said in a statement that the male needs to ward off potential intruders, bring food for the female and take his turn incubating the egg, but the nest is often left unoccupied.
Though that is concerning for this particular nest, AZGFD said the bald eagle population at Lake Pleasant has grown since 1993, with 28 birds surviving to take their first flight.
Two eggs were laid with the previous male in the same nest in early January 2018 and hatched the following month, according to AZGFD. The two young took their first flight in April.
