Nests, Chicks, and Conservation

Bald eagles build the largest nests of any bird! A bald eagle nest (called an aerie) can be 10 feet across and 20 feet deep — as big as a small car! Eagles add to the same nest year after year, so it keeps growing. The heaviest bald eagle nest on record weighed over 2 tons! Most raptors lay 1 to 4 eggs. Both parents take turns keeping the eggs warm (incubation). Eagle chicks hatch fluffy and helpless. Parents tear food into tiny pieces and gently feed their chicks.