Bald eagle eggs won’t hatch after parents abandon them in Virginia nest. ‘Sad day’
Bald eagle parents have abandoned their eggs over a week after they were laid in a Virginia nest, a group said.
Bald eagle Rosa tended to two eggs for nine days before she gave up on them on Feb. 23 in the Dulles Greenway Wetlands — federally protected land managed by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.
“Truly heartbreaking for them,” one person commented on Facebook.
Rosa laid her first egg Feb. 14, followed by her second egg three days later, according to the wildlife conservancy.
She had mated with Lewis for the first time this year after her previous mate, Martin, disappeared in December, the nonprofit said. Rosa and Martin raised three eaglets last season named Pi, Pat and Flora.
But after Martin vanished, Rosa found a new mate just in time for nesting season.
Bald eagle dad’s first egg
Lewis, however, appeared inexperienced at mating and incubating the eggs, so the group said they believed it was his first egg.
“Some of you may recall how clumsy he was when he first attempted to mate with Rosa,” the sanctuary said.
Despite this, his mating skills improved and he got better at helping Rosa build the nest with sticks and grass, so viewers and the nonprofit were hopeful.
But when the eggs were laid, Lewis didn’t help incubate them, the nonprofit documented.
Rosa was often left in the nest hungry without any breaks from Lewis to take a turn keeping the eggs warm, so she’d have to leave them for periods of time to find food.
After nine days, it seemed Rosa couldn’t tend to them on her own anymore, the wildlife group said.
She was last seen incubating them at 1:07 a.m. Feb. 23.
“We cannot explain Lewis’ behavior but we are grateful that we do still have two healthy eagles and look forward to seeing what the future brings for this pair,” the sanctuary said in a Facebook post.
“Some mates are a little slower in learning. But the older mate will teach and be patient in the meantime. We just have to trust the Eagles and their process,” one person commented on Facebook.
“Perhaps next season after they have worked out the new mates ‘kinks.’ We hope the best for Lewis and Rosa,” another person commented.
“It was a sad day in Ashburn. Pray that Lewis will mature and be a great mate and Papa,” another person wrote.
Dulles Greenway Wetlands is in Leesburg, which is about 40 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
This story was originally published February 28, 2024 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Bald eagle eggs won’t hatch after parents abandon them in Virginia nest. ‘Sad day’."
