Two bald eagle chicks have hatched amid howling winter storms at a wetland center near Dallas, with their parents braving rain, cold, and high winds to protect their new offspring.
The eaglets, designated simply as JBS 24 and JBS 25, emerged from eggs laid in late December at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center in North Texas, where staff had been anxiously monitoring the nest during recent severe weather. The first egg was laid on December 18, and the second followed on December 21, confirmed local wildlife officials.
Veteran Parents Weather the Storm
These aren’t first-time parents. The eagle pair has been nesting at the center since 2014, with the female handling most incubation duties while her mate hunts for food. “They’re seasoned parents, and they know what they’re doing,” noted center staff, who’ve watched this same couple return year after year.
Bald eagles mate for life, and this dedicated pair has proven remarkably successful. Since monitoring began in 2013, they’ve hatched 23 eaglets at the wetland, with 20 confirmed as successfully fledging — an impressive track record for wild raptors.
But this year’s hatching came with extra drama. The eggs hatched during a winter storm system that swept through North Texas, with the parents taking turns sheltering their nest from the elements. Center staff watched nervously, though Executive Director Kayleigh Bucur explained their hands were tied. “They’re federally protected, and truly, you just have to trust the eagles,” she explained.
A 700-Pound Nest with History
Perhaps the most remarkable part of this eagle family’s story? Their massive nest sits atop a specially built tower with an unusual history.
The original nest was constructed on an energized electrical tower supplying power to Dallas — a precarious location that posed risks to both the eagles and the power grid. In 2014, an ambitious relocation project was undertaken. “Utility crews and wildlife agencies worked together to relocate the nest without disturbing it, lifting it by crane and securing it to a replica tower about a quarter mile away,” states the center’s documentation of the project.
How big has the nest grown since then? The relocated aerie now weighs nearly 700 pounds and spans approximately nine feet across — a testament to the eagles’ ongoing construction efforts each breeding season.
The John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center, located about 30 minutes southeast of Dallas near Combine, Texas, has become something of an avian hotspot. “Here on the Central Flyway, we’re a draw for some 300 bird species, including bald eagles,” the center reports on its website.
What’s Next for the Chicks?
The newly hatched eaglets will remain nestbound for several weeks under their parents’ care. They’re expected to begin attempting their first flights sometime in April, though they’ll remain dependent on their parents well beyond those initial fluttering hops.
Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of America’s national bird and its offspring should check the center’s website for viewing opportunities, though officials stress the importance of maintaining a respectful distance from the nest.
For now, these two chicks — numbered rather than named — represent another successful chapter in a conservation success story that continues to unfold in the wetlands southeast of one of America’s largest metropolitan areas. Not bad for a species that was once endangered throughout the United States.
