🔴 Last month, a car crash took a live eagle camera offline at a NJ farm

🔴 No humans or eagles were injured

🔴 The farm said the camera with audio should be up and running soon


In mid-December, a team at Duke Farms in Hillsborough made extensive upgrades to the farm’s popular bald eagle camera to improve visibility and accessibility, including a new audio feature to compliment the video camera.

It was only up and running for a week when a car hit the utility pole that provides power to the camera and took the camera offline, said Duke Farms Executive Director, Margaret Waldock.

Luckily, no humans or eagles were hurt in the crash, but there was extensive damage to the camera. Since then, the farm has been spending quite some time to make the necessary repairs.

Damage to the circuitry at Duke Farms (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
Damage to the circuitry at Duke Farms (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
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Progress is being made to fix the cameras but the process is taking longer than expected due to equipment delays, snow, and cold temperatures, Waldock said.
However, she said the camera should be up and running in time for the next eagle season to start.

“What we’re hearing from our partners on the ground in terms of the eagles; they are in the area, they’re getting ready to start the egg incubation process. The eagles seem healthy and ready to have another successful season,” Waldock said.

The eagle camera on the farm is so important because it’s about science, education, and engagement, she said.

The December 16, 2024 accident at Duke Farms (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
The December 16, 2024 accident at Duke Farms (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
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The eagle camera was installed as a way for people to connect to nature. This camera is a very popular and accessible way to experience not only the seasonal cycles of this particular breeding pair, but also the incredible recovery of the bald eagle as a species, Waldock explained.

She also said the camera is a powerful educational tool. Teachers around the world use the camera to livestream the eagles into their classrooms.

“We partner with local schools and communities like Manville and South Bound Brook, providing them with lesson plans that weave in skills like observation and measurement into their science, math, and even their art curriculum,” Waldock said.

The December 16, 2024 accident at Duke Farms (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
The December 16, 2024 accident at Duke Farms (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
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The camera is also an essential tool for state biologists and volunteer nest monitors. It is an invaluable tool for documenting and studying this particular species and allows those on the farm to observe them much closer than they would just in the field.

“So, it’s really about science, education, and conservation in action,” she summed up.
The first bald eagle nesting pair was spotted in a secluded area of Duke Farms in 2004.

Upgraded eagle camera at Duke Farms after the December 13, 2024 installation (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
Upgraded eagle camera at Duke Farms after the December 13, 2024 installation (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
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Then, in 2008, Waldock said the farm installed one of the first-ever live-streamed cameras in New Jersey.

Since then, millions of people have been able to observe these remarkable birds. More than 32 eaglets have fledged from the nest at Duke Farms, she said.

When the camera comes back online, which will be soon, everyone is encouraged to tune in and watch because there is so much action to see, Waldock said.

“The eggs are typically laid, and the incubation starts around late January. Eggs will hatch about a month later, and then the eaglets will fledge in May. So, that means months of footage, watching mom and dad care for their young and seeing the eaglets grow and develop and launch into the world,” she said.

The utility pole with a power transformer outside of Duke Farms (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
The utility pole with a power transformer outside of Duke Farms (Duke Farms, A Center of the Doris Duke Foundation)
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Now, with the new audio feature, folks can hear the eagles and the sounds of nature around them.

When people tune in, they are witnessing a very remarkable recovery story, Waldock said.

Recently, the bald eagle was removed from New Jersey’s threatened species list. This recovery is not an accident.

Pollution, pesticide use, and habitat loss drove the bald eagle to the brink of extinction. But thanks to lawmakers, conservationists, scientists and everyday citizens, they’ve worked together to bring the birds back.

Nesting eagle pair at Duke Farms, Hillsborough (Duke Farms)
Nesting eagle pair at Duke Farms, Hillsborough (Duke Farms)
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“We’re really inspired by this success story. It’s encouraging, but 30 additional species were newly added to the endangered species list in New Jersey, and we really hope that this story of the eagles provides some inspiration and the impact that we can have if we apply the same focus and effort to those other species to ensure that New Jersey remains a place of bountiful nature and wildlife,” Waldock said.

There are currently 290 bald eagle nesting pairs in New Jersey; a remarkable number since just a few decades ago, there was only one pair.

Since the 1970s, there has been a concerted effort to put in place the right policy and really incentivize conservation to protect habitat.

The improvement of rivers in New Jersey, particularly of the Raritan River. Duke Farms has been working with partners in the region to improve water quality, clean up polluted sites, and remove dams. As the river quality improves, it’s a critical hunting ground and food source for eagles.

To watch the nesting eagles on Duke Farms, tune into the camera here.

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