Most raptors are solo hunters though mated pairs of peregrines, aplomado falcons and golden eagles will sometimes hunt cooperatively when there are young in the nest. But even this is rare.
Harris’s hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi) are the exception. Native from the American Southwest to western Peru, they hunt together in family groups organized like a wolf pack.
A dominance hierarchy occurs in Harris’s hawks, wherein the mature female is the dominant bird, followed by the adult male and then the young of previous years. Groups typically include from two to seven birds. Not only do birds cooperate in hunting, but they also assist in the nesting process. No other bird of prey is known to hunt in groups as routinely as this species.
If you’re near a family’s territory you’ll see them work together. (Fair warning: video shows them catching a rabbit + includes a pun on the word “prey”)
Since the 1980’s Harris’s hawks have become popular falconry birds because they are very social and easy to train. They are often used to keep nuisance birds away from airports, public places, and landfills.
At least one of them is internationally famous: Rufus the Hawk at Wimbledon, June 2014.
Merlins (Falco columbarius) are small, dark-striped, very fast falcons who’ve been making a comeback in Pennsylvania. Their population was wiped out during the DDT era and they didn’t return to PA until this century. In 2006-2009 the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas confirmed just 6 nests. The 3rd Breeding Bird Atlas, currently in progress 2024-2029, has confirmed 47 so far (dark purple dots on this map). We think there are more.
Because of their habitat and prey preferences merlins could well be nesting near you. They prefer forests, cities, residential areas, school yards, parks, cemeteries, and golf courses and are often found where house sparrows are plentiful. They don’t build their own nests, instead choosing an old crow or hawk nest in a pine or spruce. If the crows don’t like it there’s a fight.
Other than fighting with crows, nesting merlins are relatively quiet … until right now.
Late June through early July is the easiest time to find merlins because they are very vocal and very loud. Here’s an adult and juvenile at feeding time. Both of them are calling. The juvenile sounds are fainter.
In 2022 Malcolm Kurtz found a merlin family at Chatham University. When I stopped by they were easy to find. I heard them before I saw them!
Merlin adults plus juvenile, 18 July 2022 (photo by Malcolm Kurtz)
If you’ve heard these sounds there’s a merlin family near you. In Pennsylvania we want to know about them. Read on.
If you’re in Pennsylvania: We think there are more merlins than the 47 families we already know about. We’d love to add your merlins to the Breeding Bird Atlas map.
Or, email your county’s BBA coordinator: PA statewide BBA list is here.
If you’re in southwestern Pennsylvania, the challenge is on. Don Nixon writes:
Of the southwestern region’s 12 counties only 3 currently have confirmed nests Allegheny, Indiana & Jefferson. I know of three others that had confirmed nests prior to the 2024 atlas start (Butler, Clarion & Fayette). If we have reasonable luck, we can confirm nests in all 12 counties.
— Email from Don Nixon (pamerlins [at] gmail.com), 14 June 2026
Not an eBirder? You can always email your County BBA Coordinator (Southwestern PA list from statewide BBA coordinators):
Allegheny – Mike Fialkovich and Brian Shema (PBA3.Allegheny AT gmail.com)
Armstrong – Jim Kellam (james.kellam AT stvincent.edu)
Beaver – Tom Kuehl (tjk.kuehl AT gmail.com)
Butler – Glenn Koppel (macatilly AT gmail.com) and Oscar Miller (aoscarmiller3 AT gmail.com)
Clarion – Carole Winslow (cjwinslow94 AT gmail.com)
Fayette – Alex Busato (PBA3.Fayette AT gmail.com)
Greene – Marjorie Howard (rkbbirdclub AT yahoo.com)
Indiana – Marg and Roger Higbee (PBA3.Indiana AT gmail.com)
Jefferson – Don Nixon (pamerlins AT gmail.com) and Dave Keith (dksop96 AT gmail.com)
Lawrence – Tom Kuehl (tjk.kuehl AT gmail.com)
Washington – David Argent (argent@pennwest.edu)
Westmoreland – Janet and Tom Kuehl (tjk.kuehl AT gmail.com)
(* p.s.) “ideally use the PA BBA portal.” Well, yes, but if you don’t already use the portal it will frustrate you on your first attempt. My advice for first timers: Don’t ruin a happy and exciting bird sighting by engaging in a fight with your cellphone.
The eaglets likely passed from Avian Influenza. Their symptoms and the progression of the illness is consistent with Avian Influenza, and they could have contracted it from ingesting goslings and geese that had been brought to the nest as food. We cannot know for certain without testing, but this is the most likely cause based on the evidence.
Ducks, geese, chickens and pheasants figure heavily in the spread of avian influenza because they are most susceptible to catching it. Interestingly they are closely related and stand alone in the phylogenomic supertree(pink square below). Birds that are not related to ducks and chickens, and birds that don’t flock are very unlikely to catch the disease.
Our hearts go out to all who love these eagles and are grieving. We have been blessed with 100% survivorship of eaglets from the Hays/Glen Hazel eagle nests over the past 14 years, while it is typical for 30% of eaglets to not survive until fledging age.
Kudos to the Glen Hazel moderator team for promptly noticing signs of illness in the chicks and notifying Tamarack Wildlife Center’s Executive Director and Licensed Rehabilitator Carol Holmgren on Friday morning, May 15. Carol immediately reached out to Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) colleagues, to loop them in that day, and has been in conversation since then. A few updates:
• It is FWS policy to let nature take its course at eagle’s nests and only approve intervention when there is a threat to the eagles that has a clear human cause such as fishing line entanglement or swallowing a fish hook. In this instance, the eaglets were ill, but not with a clear human cause where FWS and PGC would approve intervention. Much as that is difficult for us to witness, it is part of the natural history that eagles live with daily.
• The eaglets likely passed from Avian Influenza. Their symptoms and the progression of the illness is consistent with Avian Influenza, and they could have contracted it from ingesting goslings and geese that had been brought to the nest as food. We cannot know for certain without testing, but this is the most likely cause based on the evidence.
• The adults may also have been exposed to the virus. They typically have a stronger immune system than the young birds, and may be able to fight off the virus. Time will tell. We will be monitoring them. There is no treatment that can be given while they are free-flying. If one is on the ground due to illness, it may be able to be treated by a rehabilitator.
• Our hope is that their immune systems are strong and they can remain healthy.
• Our highest concerns at this point are 1. supporting the health of the remaining adult eagles and 2. caring for the moderators and community who love these eagles.
• Now that the two eaglets have passed, PGC has had extensive discussions about the risks vs benefits of accessing the nest to retrieve the now two deceased eaglets. They have decided not to pursue retrieval, in part to not stress the adult eagles through human presence at the nest.
• There is no practical benefit to confirming that the eaglets succumbed to Avian Influenza, beyond the human desire to know. The disease is known to be endemic in Pennsylvania now and there are no management actions that would be taken with that information.
• Due to the regulations and Acts protecting eagles and their nests, any access to the nest would also require both PGC and FWS support.
• PGC will be continuing to monitor the situation. If an eaglet should fall to the ground, they may pursue retrieval and testing since stress on the adult birds would be less, and FWS approval would not be needed.
Below is the full statement shared by our colleagues in PGC today. We appreciate the thoughtfulness with which they have considered this situation, and their continued collaboration.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) appreciates the concerns of the public regarding the eagles in the Glen Hazel Eagle Nest Cam, located in Allegheny County.
Wildlife watching opportunities, especially ones that can occur from anywhere thanks to wildlife cameras and digital technology, are a popular way for the public to learn and love wildlife.
Unfortunately, nature can be hard to watch at times. When situations occur on live wildlife webcams, including this eagle’s nest, human intervention is not always recommended or possible.
PGC evaluated the situation carefully and considered many factors including human safety and exposure to potential pathogens. Additionally, human intervention could further stress the adult eagles. Any actions must also comply with federal regulations related to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. At this time, we have chosen to not intervene. If a safer opportunity presents itself in the future, we may pursue disease testing to hopefully determine what caused the death of these eaglets.
Two red-tailed hawk chicks at their nest in Schenley Park, 20 May 2026 (photo by Dana Nesiti)
22 May 2026
While the Pitt peregrines were being banded on 20 May, Dana Nesiti was filming a pair of red-tailed hawk youngsters less than a mile away at their nest in Schenley Park.
On that day the Pitt peregrine chicks were 23-25 days old …
When they all grow up the red-tailed hawks will be larger than the peregrines but the peregrines are much more agile in the air. Peregrines can always beat red-tails in a dogfight.
Yesterday morning at 10:48am the younger of the two eaglets at the Glen Hazel bald eagle nest (GH4) died of an unknown illness which is affecting the older eaglet (G3) and mother eagle “Mom” as well. UPDATE on 18 May at 9:26am: Eaglet GH3 has died.
Eaglecam moderator “eaglestreamer” posted this news yesterday:
MAY 17, 2026
(Joint statement from Tamarack, PixCams and the Glen Hazel eaglecam team)
GLEN HAZEL EAGLET HEALTH UPDATE:
On the morning of May 15, after observing that GH3 and GH4 were presenting with possible signs of illness, we immediately alerted Tamarack Wildlife Center’s Executive Director and Licensed Rehabilitator, Carol Holmgren, who is our rehabilitation partner for the Glen Hazel nest. Carol has been monitoring closely and also reaching out to other colleagues with expertise in the field. Expert eyes have been on GH3 and GH4, and are concerned. Bill Powers of PixCams was also alerted and the team immediately conferenced to discuss potential scenarios.
Clearly the eaglets have not been well; GH4 has sadly, now passed. There are several diseases and toxins that can result in similar signs, so testing would be needed to confirm the specific cause of the eaglet’s distress. Due to their protected status, intervention at an eagles’ nest requires both State and Federal approval. 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. Eagle nestlings do not always survive, and adults may also be injured or become ill through natural occurrences. We are also monitoring the adults closely. It has been noticed that Mom is spending more time than typical resting at the nest, and eating smaller bites than usual.
This is a difficult time for all of us who love these eagles. In the spirit of transparency, we will keep the camera live. Please be kind and compassionate. Step away if you need to. Take good care of yourself and others.
UPDATE on 28 April 2026: The eaglet was returned to his nest today. See video at end.
20 April 2026
Bald eagles eat fish and so do people. Unfortunately our fishing gear can kill eagles with fish hooks that tear the digestive system, lead sinkers that cause lead poisoning, and monofilament that entangles and strangles. We usually don’t see what happens when fishing gear meets wildlife but on Saturday morning 18 April the danger was live on the USS Irvin eaglecam.
That morning Irv, the father eagle, brought in a freshly caught fish for his three eaglets. At just two weeks old the youngest waited front and center while his mother Stella fed him. Watchers of PixCams’ live stream saw the moment when the youngster (USS11) ingested a yellow lure with hook and monofilament. It looked bad.
Don German, retired manager at USS, notified Tamarack Wildlife Center (TWC) who immediately assessed the video footage, saw the eaglet trying unsuccessfully to eject the fishing gear, and recommended he be rescued for medical evaluation. As TWC coordinated the rescue, everything fell quickly into place. Within 12 hours the eaglet had undergone surgery to remove the hook deep in his intestines. By Sunday morning he was eating again.
Tamarack Wildlife Center describes the rescue on their Facebook page.
NOTE: If you’re viewing this on mobile: There is a Facebook bug that may prevent display of embedded Facebook posts on mobile devices. Until Meta fixes it click here to see TWC’s post.
If all goes well and the eaglet makes a speedy recovery, he may be returned to the nest in as little as a week. His parents will certainly welcome him back.
Red-tailed hawks are the most common hawk in southwestern Pennsylvania with at least three territories in Schenley Park, one of which is Dana’s favorite pair. On 3 April he visited them to see how their nesting is progressing.
Yesterday morning, 2 April at 9:20am, the first egg hatched at the Glen Hazel (Hays) bald eagle nest. This video shows a closeup of the chick emerging from the egg. Notice the mother eagle’s talons and feet near the egg. She is so large and the chick is so small.
About 40 minutes later, the light rain had stopped and the sun came out. The mother eagle got up and we could see the chick dried off and moving. His mother made a soft chirping sound while a cardinal sang in the background.
Today, 29 March, the first egg hatched at the USS Irvin bald eagle nest. The video above shows a closeup of the egg’s first opening with the eaglet looking out. Mother eagle sometimes blocks the camera as she moves around to watch the eaglet.
