Finch Walker

USA TODAY NETWORK

Updated May 18, 2026, 10:25 a.m. ET

Two Pittsburgh bald eaglets dead, mother sickened by unknown illness

For the first time in the nest’s history of being livestreamed to the world, both bald eagle chicks at the Glen Hazel nest in Pittsburgh have died.

The second chick, hatched in a nest along the Monongahela River, died on May 18 morning after several days of illness. The elder of the pair, its death came a day after the younger chick died. Both were less than two months old.

“This is an incredibly difficult moment for everyone who has followed and cared about this nest,” said PixCams, which streams the nest, in a Facebook post on May 18. “In 14 years of streaming these eagles, we’ve never experienced a loss like this at Glen Hazel.”

The mother eagle was showing signs of illness as of May 18.

Pittsburgh eaglets die six weeks after hatching

Pittsburgh welcomed both eaglets in early April, with the first egg hatching on April 2. The second eaglet emerged two days later on April 4.

The first eaglet died at 46 days old on May 18, a little more than six weeks after hatching. A day before, the younger of the pair died at 43 days old.

The eaglet began showing signs of illness on May 14, with symptoms including regurgitating food, a disinterest in eating, lethargy and weakness, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The mother has also shown similar signs of illness.

Get the Daily Briefing newsletter in your inbox.

The day’s top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events.

Delivery: DailyYour Email

What illness caused the Pittsburgh eagles’ deaths?

As of May 18, officials didn’t know why the eaglets at the Glen Hazel nest died. Potential reasons included avian flu and having ingested something toxic such as rodenticide, the Post-Gazette reported.

Pennsylvania has seen millions of cases of avian flu in recent years, with more than 480 cases officially documented and 16 million domesticated birds impacted in the past four years, Spotlight PA reported. There have been 48 documented cases of avian flu in the state, a number that experts say is likely much smaller than actual cases.

Can wildlife services intervene to help sick eagle?

Officials have a response team ready, but as of May 18 morning, they were not intervening.

“We are exploring whether Pennsylvania and Federal permission might be granted to recover GH4 from the nest for necropsy and/or pull GH3 from the nest for assessment and care, though Federal Wildlife Service policy states that permission is not granted for interference with the natural course of events at an eagle nest,” PixCams said in a Facebook post on May 17 following the younger eaglet’s death. “Eagle nestlings do not always survive, and adults may also be injured or become ill through natural occurrences.”

In their May 18 post following the elder eaglet’s death, PixCams said officials were still “working to obtain the necessary permissions to investigate further and better understand what happened.”

It’s rare that federal permission is granted to enter a bald eagle nest, the Post-Gazette reported.

There was another case in April where an eaglet at the U.S. Steel nest near Pittsburgh swallowed a fishing hook and lure on camera. In this case, officials were given permission from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to rescue the eaglet to rehab it.

They have not been given permission to enter the Glen Hazel nest.

What is the survival rate for baby eagles?

Young bald eagles have a survival rate of about 50%, the Post-Gazette reported. This is the first documented instance where an eaglet has died in the 13 years the Glen Hazel nest has been webcammed.

“There’s high mortality and the natural history is rough,” said Carol Holmgren said, the education and rehabilitation partner for both the Glen Hazel and U.S. Steel nests.

How many bald eagle nests does Pittsburgh have?

There are two bald eagle nests in Pittsburgh.

The mother eagle at the Glen Hazel nest was the first female bald eagle to breed in the city limits for more than 150 years, the Post-Gazette reported.

And in 2021, eagles were spotted nesting at the Mon Valley Works Irvin Plant in 2021, about 12 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. U.S. Steel Corporation set up a live camera shortly after. Those eagles, Stella and Irvine, welcomed three chicks in March.

Both nests are currently livestreaming through PixCams of Murrysville.