For a bald eagle pair in Pittsburgh, Pa., among the threats to parenting is a great horned owl that keeps knocking the male eagle from his perch.
The accompanying nest-cam footage shows the larger owl, in a blur, strike the eagle from behind and send him sprawling from a branch near the nest. (The clip also shows this in slow motion.)
Momma eagle, clearly concerned, rises briefly before resting back atop her three eggs. The male eagle, apparently unhurt, eventually returns to the nest to resume guard duty.
According to 2 CBS Pittsburgh, this was the second time the owl was caught on video blind-siding the eagle.
Although this might seem like bizarre great horned owl behavior, it could be that the owl hopes to displace both eagles and claim their nest.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, great horned owls rarely build their own nests. “They usually adopt a nest that was built by another species, but they also use cavities in live trees, dead snags, deserted buildings, cliff ledges, and human-made platforms,” Cornell Lab states on its website.
Great horned owls, which can boast 5-foot wingspans, occasionally prey on large raptors, including hawks and other owls.
The great horned owl certainly is not the only threat to the budding Hays Eagles family. The live nest-cam recently captured footage showing a raccoon unsuccessfully trying to raid the nest for its eggs.
According to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, the eggs were hatched Feb. 12, Feb. 15 and Feb. 19.
The nest-cam is run in a partnership with PixCams and Audubon includes this disclaimer: “This webcam shows live views of Bald Eagles in nature. Some content may not be suitable for all audiences.”