Bald eagle couple has quads

Successful fledging of historic four-chick bald eagle nest Narrowsburg, N.Y. — The Delaware Valley Eagle Alliance has documented the fledging of four bald eagle chicks from a nest along the Delaware River in Northampton County. Directors, John and Yoke DiGiorgio began recording their observations and documenting, through photography and documentary film, starting the first week in April. The first chick was observed that first week in April. The fourth chick was observed and documented on April 27. The DiGiorgios notified PA Game Commission Wildlife Diversity - Endangered and Non-Game Birds Supervisor, Daniel Brauning and PA Game Commission Wildlife Biologist, Douglas A. Gross and provided them with documentary film confirming the event. Responding to the news, Doug Gross stated, “Thanks very much for the good news. I think that this might be the first eagle nest with 4 chicks. Historic news!” Clutch size in bald eagles generally varies between one and three, with two being the most common. Reports in the literature of four-egg clutches are very rare, with some suggesting that they result from two females laying eggs in the same nest. In 1986 on the Chesapeake Bay, a four-egg clutch was successful with no sign of an extra female. An account was never published. The DiGiorgios have completed capturing fourteen weeks of footage documenting this historic event, from the time that the four chicks were first observed through several weeks after they fledged (first flight). A documentary film is being developed, with the plan to premier it during EagleFest 2010 (scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2010 in Narrowsburg, New York), an annual event that the DiGiorgios founded and organize. The DiGiorgios are also collaborating with Dr. Bryan Watts, Director, Center for Conservation Biology to co-author a research paper that documents this rare event. The paper will present an account of this nesting event in the context of current thought regarding limitations on clutch and brood size in bald eagles. Dr. Watts has monitored more than 6,000 nesting attempts by bald eagles and has never recorded a 4-chick brood. He states that “it is truly incredible for such an exceedingly rare event to be so well documented.”