map showing location of NCTC's Eagle Nest
Image Details

Eagle Cam

The NCTC Eagle Cam project is a partnership between the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Outdoor Channel, and the Friends of the National Conservation Training Center. We also acknowledge the many dedicated eagle fans from around the country and the world who have been with us from the beginning, and who have provided a great deal of support.

The nest is located approximately 75 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. on the campus of The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' National Conservation Training Center. The campus is near Shepherdstown, in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, approximately 1/4 mile from the Potomac River. 

An American Bald Eagle pair began building this nest in 2003, near the top of a large sycamore tree. Two eaglets hatched in 2004, were successfully raised, and the two young eagles fledged from the nest in June of 2004. In the fall of 2005, NCTC installed our first eagle cam and the 2006 nesting season was the first to be observed online. The NCTC Eagle Cam soon became very popular with a large online following of viewers amazed to watch the eagles raise their young each season.

The nesting season begins each year in the fall and early winter when the eagles bring in sticks and work to build up the nest. Mating happens from December to February, eggs are laid in mid-February, and with 35-38 days of steady incubation, the eggs hatch around mid-March. In twelve weeks, from mid-March to mid-June, the young eagles grow incredibly fast, and the adult-sized young will first leave the nest (fledge) in mid-June. The juvenile eagles will then spend the summer months near the river with the adults to hone their fishing and hunting skills. During the summer, we will see the juveniles back in the nest on occasion, but by fall they are on their own.

Please join us for our online broadcasts of "Live from the Eagles Nest" during the nesting season. You'll find the schedule here.

Posted below Educator Resources, you will find a collection of online lesson plans, websites, photos, and videos on bald eagles that will be helpful to teachers, home-schooling parents, and students. 

Live Video

The Eagle Cam Live Video is hosted on a non-USFWS site. We do not control the content or policies of the site you are about to visit. You should always check site policies before providing personal information or reusing content.

Eagle Cam Timeline

These are weekly updates and photographs of nest activity and highlights starting in 2008 and continuing to the current nesting season. For the most recent updates, visit the live eagle cam.  

Educator Resources on the American Bald Eagle and Conservation Education

This is a collection of videos, slide shows, lesson plans and websites that will be helpful to teachers, home schooling parents, and students.

Teachers: If you have lesson plans you would like to share or, if you'd like to schedule an online presentation for your students, please e-mail: randy_robinson@fws.gov

List of Educational Resources 

  • Here is a collection of online lesson plans, websites, photos, and videos on bald eagles will be helpful to teachers, homeschooling parents, and students.
  • Bald eagles are popular birds and have many anecdotes and stories associated with them.  Read some Eagle Fun Facts.
  • The following vides are Facebook LIVE recorded events hosted by Randy Robinson, USFWS which gives a close up look at the fascinating lives of nesting eagles and their young offspring. It also provides background on the history, habitat, biology and behaviors of the American bald eagle.
    • April 29, 2020 Episode - Host Randy Robin gives an up close look at the fascinating lives of nesting eagles an their young offspring.
    • May 6, 2020 Episode - NCTC Wildlife Biologist, Jim Siegel discusses interesting nesting behaviors of bald eagles and their young.
  • Find more information on Migratory Birds - Bald Eagle.