Both eaglets in Pittsburgh nest die from suspected bird flu

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]The second eaglet at the Glen Hazel Eagles Nest has died one day after its sibling died. Good to have you with us tonight. I'm Ken Rice. And I'm Megan Schiller. Christine Sorensen has the night off. KDKA's Lauren Linder talked with an expert about what likely caused their deaths and if the parents are at risk, too.

[00:00:18]It's exciting to view an eagle cam um and inspiring when it all goes well and it can be disturbing when it doesn't.

[00:00:28]Thousands of people have been captivated by the Eagles Nest in Glen Hazel. In early April, we watched the latest two eaglets hatch, become fledglings, and start to grow. But Carol Holmgren with Tamarack Wildlife Center says last Thursday they appeared to get sick with one dying on Sunday, the other on Monday. The signs that we've been seeing from the eaglets and the disease progression, the illness progression, are all totally consistent with avian influenza bird flu, the disease that spiked in commercial and wild flocks this year in Pennsylvania. A spokesperson for the State Game Commission telling KDKA the most recent confirmed positive cases in wild birds in the southwestern region were in February. However, Holmgren says geese are known to spread the illness and that the eagles had been eating them. That is very easily a mechanism of transmission of this virus. She says the eaglets dad hasn't exhibited any abnormal behavior. And while the mom initially appeared sick over the weekend, she's now appearing to do better. She has been demonstrating more vigor and more appetite. Crews decided not to respond after conducting risk analysis based on the state and federal guidelines for nesting wildlife. There's no action that would be taken um that would create better outcomes for the species or for humans.

[00:02:01]Now, experts also didn't want to cause stress on the mom who they continue to monitor hoping she'll make a full recovery with possibly a stronger immune system than her equals. The commission adds that if a safer opportunity presents itself in the future, it may pursue disease testing. Back to you.