A wild pair of bald eagles hatched two eggs atop an artificial platform in Miami-Dade
A wild pair of bald eagles hatched two eggs on top of an artificial platform in Miami-Dade County, Zoo Miami said Sunday afternoon via Facebook.
Ron and Rita — named after wildlife expert Ron Magill and his wife, Rita — hatched their first egg Saturday night after a 37-day incubation period, the zoo said.
A second chick hatched Sunday morning and a third egg is yet to hatch, the zoo added.
If all three eggs hatch, it is likely that not all the chicks will survive. The first two chicks that hatched will be older and stronger, and may bully the third one to keep more food for themselves, the zoo reported.
“Whatever happens, we must let nature take its course and will not interfere with any natural process,” officials with Zoo Miami said.
For over two months, Rita and Ron worked together to build a new nest on an artificial platform built through the combined efforts of Lloyd Brown, the founder of Wildlife Rescue of Dade County, and Magill of the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment at the Zoo Miami Foundation. Magill is also the communications director for Zoo Miami.
Per zoo officials, the platform was constructed to provide a more stable foundation after the pair had their original nest destroyed during a storm last year.
“This was a huge gamble because there was no guarantee that the adult pair would return to the tree, and if they did, that they would choose to build their nest on the platform,” the zoo said on its website.
On March 13, one of Ron and Rita’s bald eagle chicks was rescued after it fell 80 feet from a nest during the storm. Their second chick died.
The surviving eaglet was released back to the wild in August of last year after surgery to repair a broken wing and months of rehabilitation.
To watch the eagles live, go to www.zoomiami.org/bald-eagle-cam.
This story was originally published January 2, 2022 at 6:00 PM.
