Dover, Tenn.–One of this year’s two fledgling Bald Eagles at Fort Donelson National Battlefield died after an apparent fall from its nest today.
The young eagle was one of two offspring produced by the famed Fort Donelson nesting pair, Jack and Lizzy. The two newest eaglets were No. 32 and 33 to have been born to the couple since they produced their first offspring at the national park unit in 2004.
According to Fort Donelson Superintendent Brian McCutchen, “We are saddened by the sudden loss of the fledgling. Every year the offspring of the nesting pair instill fascination, learning, and enjoyment to visitors from across the nation and around the globe. This fledgling and its sibling have proven no different.”
Late on Thursday morning, May 26, one of the park’s dedicated eagle watchers noticed that only one of the fledglings could be seen in the nest. After looking downward toward the base of the tree that holds the nest, he could view the missing offspring on the ground, appearing to have difficulty in moving. After notifying park staff, rangers arrived, already in consultation with biologists and officers of the US Fish and Wildlife Service for direction.
“Upon our arrival the young eagle could not sit up and appeared listless and exhausted,” according to Park Ranger Garnet Tritt. The fledgling was soon secured and an officer from the US Fish and Wildlife Service took it to a certified Eagle sanctuary for medical assessment and treatment. It reportedly died soon after leaving the national park.
According to McCutchen, “A necropsy will occur on the fledgling in order to assess the cause of death, be it the fall from the nest, possible disease, or perhaps a combination of causes.” According to biologists with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, on average, seventy percent of bald eagle offspring do not survive the first year.
Fort Donelson photo.