CHAT TIMES: Chat will resume when nesting season begins again.
On this page you will see the nest of non-releasable Bald Eagles Independence and Franklin. They live on the American Eagle Foundation's Eagle Mountain Sanctuary in the Dollywood Park in Pigeon Forge, TN. For more information about these eagles, click here!
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During normal nesting season, we have 4 camera angles on our nest for your viewing enjoyment.
**Cam 1 ** - (High Definition - Pan, Tilt, & Zoom Side View)
Cam 2 - (High Definition - Pan, Tilt, & Zoom Overhead View)
Cam 3 - (High Res Inside Nest View)
Cam 4 - (High Res Side Nest View)
Revisit the 2014 Nesting Season
2012 Nest Cam Video Detailing Equipment and Eagle Habitat
Watch Interview With Al Cecere on WBIR TV 5-23-12
About our bald eagles, nest cam & cause. The "live" video feed is streamed on-line 24/7. At night an infrared light provides night vision to viewers via the cam. Infrared light is not visible to the eagles, so they do not see it or know it is there.
This year's bald eagle nesting pair are Independence" and "Franklin" (female has a black feather spot on the back of her head).
In 2013 we added 2 new high definition PTZ cameras designed to enhance the viewing experience.
The "non-releasable" birds are cared for by the AEF at its United States Eagle Center in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee).
At its raptor center, the AEF cares for about 80 birds of prey daily, including the world's largest collection of "non-releasable" bald eagles.
Most all these birds are used for educational purposes, and, in some cases, for propagation purposes to release captive-hatched young into the wild for re-population purposes in specific territories.
Also, the AEF cares for and rehabilitates injured and orphaned eagles and other birds for possible return to the wild.
The Independence and Franklin nest is located inside the "Eagle Mountain Sanctuary" aviary exhibit on the Dollywood family adventure park.
This disabled bald eagle pair (Franklin & Independence) has produced numerous young during previous breeding seasons, which have all been successfully released into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains - on Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee.
What is the American Eagle Foundation (AEF)? Established in 1985, the non-profit AEF is dedicated to protect the majestic Bald Eagle, the USA's National Symbol, and its habitat by supporting and conducting eagle and environmental recovery and education programs.
In 2010, the organization celebrated its 25th Anniversary.
In addition to its WWW.EAGLES.ORG website, the AEF also has a Facebook page, MySpace page, Eagle Blog, free e-Newsletter, and YouTube "Bald Eagle Info" Channel. All these features can be accessed from its website homepage.
How often are the eaglets fed? The eaglets get fed by their parents numerous times per day (and sometimes during night). The parents usually feed the babies beginning at around 6:30 a.m. or 7 a.m. (EST). As the babies grow bigger, they will require more food.
The food is placed inside the aviary at the bottom of the hill from the nest twice a day (morning and evening) by AEF staff. The amount of food provided daily is more than enough for the babies to be fed numerous times. In fact, there are usually leftovers at the end of the day.
The food in the nest is sometimes lying off-camera or blends in with the straw. The birds are cared for by professional AEF caregivers and by experienced eagle parents. In past years, the parent birds have successfully raised two sets of triplets.
Make a charitable donation to help our conservation work. The American Eagle Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit public charity, so donations are fully "tax-deductible".
The programs of the AEF are sustained by donations from individuals and corporations. The AEF receives no governmental funding.
There is a DONATION BUTTON on the home page of the AEF's website. You may also click the donate button at the top of this page and choose how you would like to help. In addition, you may "adopt" Franklin and Indy by clicking the "Adopt" button at the top.
Donors can support the AEF in a variety of ways, including Adopting Eagles and purchasing beautiful Eagle-Themed Gifts
This is the largest aviary presentation of non-releasable Bald Eagles in the world.
The nest of "Independence" and "Franklin" can be found about 35 feet up a steep hillside inside the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary aviary at Dollywood. The nest is a human-made structure, but the parents add sticks and other materials before and after laying and hatching their eggs.
A vast habitat offers a natural setting for these non-releasable eagles. Many have limited flight and enjoy flying up in the trees.
An artificial nesting/release tower overlooking a private area on Douglas Lake (East Tennessee) is home for the eaglets after they are removed from their parents' nest at 5 to 6 weeks of age. While there, they do not come into direct contact with people, but are closely monitored and cared for daily by AEF staff members until they have grown to full-size at 13 or 14 weeks of age and are released into the wild. While living in the nesting tower, the eaglets are viewed through one-way mirrored glass windows and fed/watered via sliding drawers, so they do not become "human-imprinted." Prior to their release, the eaglets are fitted with a radio tracking transmitter on their middle tail feather, a colored/numbered marker on their left wing, and a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service metal band on their right leg/ankle.
Disclaimer:** None of the advertising or commercials appearing on this UStream channel are controlled by the American Eagle Foundation, nor are any of the products and services that are promoted here endorsed by the Foundation.**
Chat Room Rules
Be respectful, polite, and focused on eagles.
No profanity, personal invective, or other inappropriate comments.
No comments touching on politics, religion, or sports. Respect the diversity of the room. Although we respect your political views, please do not post them in the main chat, since this is not a forum for political issues. The conversation should be focused on AEF.
We prefer that chatter focus on eagles and other raptors and not on TV shows that may not be suitable for family viewing.
Disagreements might be unavoidable but should remain polite, and they should never become arguments.
Do not post strings of several emoticons, smileys, or random characters, either on a single line or in successive posts. Do not post in all caps, it's like YELLING.
Allow mods to deal with chat abusers, do not engage them yourself, keep your posts relevant to the eagles.
Respect the mods, who are here to make sure all viewers have a good experience.
Chatting is a privilege, not a right. If your presence is disruptive, moderators (mods) can timeout, kick, or permanently ban chat abusers, and can delete inappropriate posts.
Medical - Although we care deeply about the health and well being of our chatters, we ask that all medical issues be kept private. If you wish to communicate with someone regarding your medical situation, please do so by means of Private Messages (PMs).
Other Nest Cams - We are aware that many of our chatters view other nests and like to share the news, which is acceptable. However, please keep information from other nests to a minimum so we don't confuse other chatters. The conversation should be focused on AEF. Of course, if you feel the need to discuss another nest, please feel free to use Private Messages (PMs).
For people way off topic - Please remember the conversation should be focused on AEF. We are all very privileged to be able to watch these beautiful creatures and to be able to share the experience with our fellow chatters. If you feel the need to discuss other topics, please do so by using Private Messages (PMs).
For more information, please email us at EagleMail@eagles.org.
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