Recently, I spent two hours staking out a Bald Eagle nest at Shelley Lake Park in Raleigh. I hoped to capture the mom feeding her hungry eaglets. Alas, she never returned with food before I had to leave. However, studying the tangle of sticks near the top of a tall pine for two small heads to pop up got me wondering. Do eagles use pine cones for nest camouflage?
This nest incorporated several dead limbs at the top with pine cones still attached. At a distance, it is hard to tell an eaglet’s head from a pine cone. Nature has given eaglets oblong brown heads and dull gray beaks. Their distinctive white heads and yellow beaks appear much later. Could these eagle parents, Raleigh and Shelley, have noticed the similarities in size and shape and placed the pine cones there on purpose?
A Search for Similar Nests Using Pine Cones
I’ve read that eagles across vast ranges prefer pine trees for nesting, so it seems possible. But an online search of “eagle nests using limbs with pine cones” proved fruitless. I viewed dozens of photos of Bald Eagle nests and saw none that incorporated attached pine cones. Some sticks with leaves, yes, but no pine cones.
Was this an accident? A one-off? Are Raleigh and Shelley nest-building innovators? Then, I recalled making a photo last year of a Bald Eagle nest in a different tree about 75 feet away. If the same eagles, Shelley and Raleigh, built that nest, it might hold clues.
Indeed, last year’s nest was built in a denser pine tree crowded among others. The top of the nest was surrounded by pine cones, both hanging from live branches and attached to dead limbs used for the nest. I’m guessing the couple moved to a higher, more open nest for easier access. They have huge wingspans, of course.
New Nest Brings More Risk
But this open access comes with more risk from predators. Although one eagle parent remained absent my entire visit, the other was on guard throughout. Raleigh (I’m guessing based on size) spent some time on a branch near the nest, but his presence seemed to agitate the hungry eaglets, making their cries louder. He flew to a nearby tree and kept monitoring the sky. Good thing, too. A Red-shouldered Hawk flew overhead. Last year, I saw one of the eagles chase away a hawk while keeping watch from this same tree that now holds the nest.
Conclusion
So, do eagles use pine cones for nest camouflage? I believe these same eagles built this nest intentionally using sticks with attached pine cones after building a similar one nearby last year. Do other eagles do so? This question goes deep into the weeds of bird behavior. If any ornithologist out there comes across this post, please share your expertise.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy with amazement the obvious natural intelligence displayed by birds and other wildlife.
