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We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service know that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that鈥檚 true for wildlife too! Meet Valor I, Valor II and Starr, an on again, off again breeding trio of bald eagles that live along the Mississippi River in Illinois. For several years, fans from all over the world watched this nontraditional family through a webcam as the eagles dealt with the trials and tribulations of parenting.
Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the public鈥檚 understanding and enjoyment of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, began the webcam project in 2011. Over the years, the friends group based in Thomson, Illinois built a fanbase for the eagles, with thousands of people tuning in throughout the course of the breeding season.
History of the trio
Having more than two birds assist with feeding and rearing young isn鈥檛 all that uncommon, but it is interesting to see that these males seemed to prefer the teamwork approach to raising a family. The original trio formed in 2013 after the female chose a new mate. Even though the original male, known as Valor I, had been replaced by a new male, known as Valor II, he hung around the nest throughout the breeding season and was assumed to be engaged in the nest but was often seen alone on a branch near the nest. It wasn鈥檛 until 2016 that the friends group and refuge staff were able to document that cooperative nesting was indeed taking place. In March of 2017, family dynamics changed dramatically when Hope, the female named by her devoted fans, was killed by another eagle while protecting her two young chicks. The two dads fought off continuing attacks on the nest by a pair of eagles and raised the chicks until they fledged.
A new nesting female, known as Starr, arrived on the scene later in September and successfully laid two eggs in mid-February 2018 with support from the two males. While both of the eggs hatched, only one of the eaglets successfully fledged. The other fledging died from unknown causes about three weeks after hatching. In 2019, the trio had a remarkable year. Starr laid three eggs, and all three eaglets successfully fledged!
Their story of success and challenges continued into 2020. On Valentine's Day, Starr laid her first egg of the season. A second egg followed three days later. Both eggs hatched in late March and both juveniles successfully fledged by mid-June. On August 10, a derecho brought hurricane force winds reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour. Unfortunately, these high winds toppled the trio's nest and the eagle cam. Thankfully, the two eaglets had fledged prior to the storm and the trio was able to take cover and were not injured.
Rebuilding in 2021
After high winds took the nest, the trio immediately began rebuilding their nest in a new tree nearby. Staff were able to reposition the eagle cam on the old tree, providing a glimpse of the nest from about 100 yards away. The trio's behavior suggested that Starr laid her first egg on February 15, 2021. Two to three eggs are typical, but we all had to watch and wait for hatchlings to pop their heads above the nest cup later in the summer. Viewers from all around the world watched as the trio continued taking shifts to incubate. During any given shift change at the nest, the relieving adult landed in the nest and nudged the incubator to take over duties. When nudging didn鈥檛 work, the relieving eagle used more aggressive tactics, like walking on the tail feathers or back of the unrelenting incubator. If still no movement, the bird snuggled against the incubator, waiting for an attitude change. By mid-June, three eaglets fledged, and the family had a successful nesting season.
Failed incubation in 2022
The eagle trio have historically been early nesters and 2022 was no exception, with incubation of eggs starting on February 23. While incubation continued for a few weeks, things changed on the afternoon of March 18, when the trio abruptly stopped incubating and left the nest. Avian influenza was widespread in this area at that time, with a large number of waterbirds dying. Eagles are scavengers and we don't know if the avian influenza was a factor, but it resulted in the failure of many bald eagle nests near there. While the trio continued to visit the nest intermittently, they didn鈥檛 make a second attempt that year.
New nest location in 2023
The trio built a new nest in 2023 that was located further back in the woods and was not readily observable without potentially disturbing them. The nest was active during the nesting season implying that it was successful.
Active in 2024
There were no nest surveys conducted in 2024 due to the potential for disturbance, but refuge staff received reports that the 2024 nest was active.
What will unfold in 2025?
It鈥檚 too soon to say how this season will play out. Only time will tell what happens next for this unique family.
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