Watch the SWFL Eagle Cam live from Southwest Florida and follow beloved bald eagle pair M15 & F23 through nest building, egg-laying, hatch, and fledge. Below you’ll find the live stream, today’s highlights, season timeline, and FAQs to help you get the most from the cams.
Season Timeline
- Nestoration: late Oct–Nov — sticks, rails, soft grass & moss
- Egg window: early–mid Nov (watch for increased food deliveries & nest time)
- Hatch window: ~35 days after laying
- Fledge window: ~10–12 weeks after hatch
- Post-fledge: parental feeding & flight training near the nest
Read more
Meet M15 & F23
- M15: Veteran provider & nest engineer; known for multiple fish deliveries/day in pre-lay.
- F23: First egg of 2024 laid Nov 8; 2025 Nov 12th; in pre-lay periods she often eats on the nest and increases time in the nest tree.
How to Watch (Cam Tips)
- Playback: Use the DVR bar to rewind ~12 hours.
- Audio: Wind can mask vocalizations; try the 4K cam for clearer sound.
- Behavior cues: Mantling over food, aerating, rolling eggs, “chortle” vocalizations.
- Tip: For the best audio of chortles and wingbeats, use the 4K cam.
- Local time: The nest operates on Eastern Time (ET).
Nest History & Notable Moments
- Stick engineering: Watch M15 test & wedge branches to raise rails.
- Food log: Tilapia, catfish heads, mullet—varies by season and water levels.
- Visitor notes: Loggerhead shrike, anhinga, and the occasional raven fly-by.
FAQs
Q: When do SWFL eagles usually lay eggs?
A: Typically early–mid November, with hatch roughly 35 days later.
Q: Why is F23 eating on the nest?
A: In pre-lay, females often conserve energy and stay close to the bowl, so on-nest feeding increases.
Q: How can I tell who’s on the nest?
A: F23 is larger with a rounder head; M15 shows a slightly slimmer frame and often arrives with sticks or fish.
Q: Do you intervene?
A: No. These cams document wild eagles for education and research; intervention is not part of this project.
Q: Best times to watch?
A: Sunrise and late afternoon for deliveries and nest work; overnight for incubation shifts.
Support & Alerts
- Get email alerts for eggs, hatches, & first flights
- spo-newsletter
- Support these cams & conservation: dickpritchettrealestate.com
Cam 3
main cam
4k cam
Community Discussions
Questions and topics started by viewers.
No, no, no, not our beautiful F-23!! ❤️ So young, such a good mama. 🌹 Could fly so fast and beautifully. Poor M-15, alone again 😥. I feel so bad for him. Up in his U-branch again, still waiting. . . 😥 They had become so close. 🙏 I just can’t believe it. Hopefully I will wake up soon. 🦅
Hugs to you too, Karen Marie. I feel so sad too for M15 and E26. 😭
Thank you, MaryNJ. Hugs to you too. 🌸 Oh yes, you can tell they are both lost. 😥
OMG! It’s the middle of the night and i just saw on FB about F23 and the tears are falling out of my eyes…………
Yes, it’s very tragic. They said on FB that the Florida Wildlife Commission recovered a dead eagle in a rural area about an hour or so after M and F23 flew east to chase an intruder. Because it’s being investigated by the FWC, they can’t say more.
It’s heartbreaking,💔especially if it was caused by a human.
Was there reason to think it might be human caused?
An individual asked if a necropsy was going to be done, and the other person (who seemed to know what happened but wasn’t allowed to speak about it) answered that a necropsy was not needed (to figure out the cause of death). FWC investigates when someone has broken the wildlife laws.
Oh no!! Who could do that? And why? I hope they fry. If that’s the case, then we’re probably lucky we have M-15.
The same filth that shoot puppies.
Yes, no souls, I guess. Just unforgivable, Debbie. So sad — found in a rural area somewhere. Probably meaning no roads or cars, I’m guessing. Bless her sweet, innocent soul. She had just started her life. 😰😩
That is what I think.
Don’t know. That’s a good question.
Thank you!!! Why in the world would that happen? What did she do that someone would shoot her? This makes me sick.
Someone shot her? I didn’t see that! 😥
Not per today’s preliminary report.
Really sounds like someone shot our precious Mom. I’m sorry, I know we are not suppose to speculate. Another scenario is hit by a vehicle, but I don’t know if that would trigger the FWC, because I’m not knowledgeable about them?
😘
I’m so glad it is being investigated.
Me too, and I hope the authorities can figure it out.
Hugs to you, Ardyth.
To hear this takes away our hope💔
I’m not an expert on eagles, but I think that F23 would have returned to the nest long ago. That motherly instinct.
I think you are right. She was too dedicated to that baby to leave, even just overnight.
I agree with you ……just kept hoping she was taking a break……hoping……but I knew deep down that wasnt the case.
I was wondering if something was wrong even before the Pritchett website stated that she was missing, because I noticed she wasn’t coming around, and the last photo of her was the one you posted on February 26th about her bringing dinner. She looked fine in that photo. And on the 25th, she flew in and took a fish away from M15, and she looked fine then too. As each day went by, my hope diminished more and more.
Agreed.
I’m crying my eyes out!!!! M-15 looks so lost again and appears to be hoarse. 😢😓😥❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏
I literally am crying too Karen
I know, you are, Ardyth. 💔 Probably ever since you said tears were falling at 1:41a.m. Your eyes are probably swollen by now, like mine. 😢
Fly high and free F23💔🌈🦅😭
😘
💔
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid036Jw5149NoYbEWt9ozRSn4tQ9ATNqBGbGwkcZTZeM6BWdBbqoHpLa1jbRFEPnV5bCl&id=100064755334430
I just this minute saw this and came here hoping something was said that it isn’t true or not our blessed F23. I am beyond words and devastated.
😭😭😢😱😭💔💔💔
I don’t want to believe it…truly heartbreaking.
I don’t want to believe it either. I’ve spent my time trying to think of other scenarios where it is not F23……..
It is not working very well.
Goodnight Carolyn. Hugs for you and so many others who love this nest.
Goodnight Debbie! Even E26 isn’t lying down in the nest. Hugs all around.
Goodnight little one!
She knows something is wrong. Thankfully, she has a great Dad. 😥❤️
Ditto, Debbie. I keep trying to say something, but there are no words. 💔😓😓😓😓
Goodnight 😴 baby and daddy eagle. I still hold on to hope for the dear mommy eagle.
Love💗
That is a good one.
Thank you Debbie.
Beautiful picture Vicki. Beautiful baby. Thank you Vicki. I’m still holding on to hope.
Thank you Lisa.
I hope it’s not avian flu…. I can’t believe that this is M’s second time caring for the infant again, at least E is older than the other two were. I’m still holding out that she will return.
I think we all are hoping that too
oh darn what are those white feathers from, please don’t tell me chicken 😱
It was some type of water bird 😔 Hopefully it was not a sick one.