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Golden Eagle or Aquila chrysaetos

The golden eagle nest camera is located far from human habitation amidst the Soomaa bogs - in a territory that golden eagles have inhabited since at least the second half of the 20th century, when the legendary Estonian naturalist Viktor Masing (1925-2001) found a golden eagle nest. 

The camera nest has been active since 2011.

Golden eagles begin to arrange their nest in late winter, when green conifer branches are brought to the nest.

Egg laying by golden eagles usually starts in the second half of March, but occasional "off years" are not uncommon, when the nest is adorned only with fresh branches and nesting does not occur.

A golden eagle clutch consists of one to two eggs, and eaglets hatch in late April. Generally, only one chick becomes flightworthy, even if two were originally hatched. The weaker chick usually perishes in competition for food.

Live broadcasts are transmitted to viewers through the Eagle Club YouTube channel.

We recommend following the Eagle Club channel in case the nest camera broadcast needs to be restarted due to technical reasons, which may change the broadcast web address. As the season progresses, the Eagle Club channel will also feature all other Estonian eagle and black stork nest cameras, as well as a grouse courtship camera.

Preparation and recording of the camera signal stream is supported by the Estonian Fund for Nature. Non-commercial use of the broadcast from the nest elsewhere is not prohibited, but we kindly ask to inform us about it if possible (send a message to urmas(at)kotkas.ee).

Viewers are welcome to support each camera, as some components need to be replaced every year. We don't have project support for this. The Environmental Investment Centre supports the installation, dismantling, and maintenance of the cameras.

Golden Eagle Nest Camera Team and Supporters:

Eagle Club – related to the nest and sharing camera installation and information
Omar Neiland – camera testing and tuning, microphone building, technical support
Nature Calendar – webcam forum online
Estonian Fund for Nature – server room
Battery Centre in Tartu – battery assistance
Environmental Investment Centre – financial support for daily activities

Several private donors – covering unexpected and anticipated hardware costs
Thousands of observers – who are the most important, because otherwise the camera wouldn't make much sense!