Watch: Eaglet rescued from side of cliff after accidentally being knocked out of nest by parent

KABC logo
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Eaglet rescued from cliff on Catalina Island after falling out of nest
A stranded eaglet was rescued from the side of a cliff on Catalina Island, the day after it was accidentally knocked out of its nest by its parent.

CATALINA ISLAND -- A stranded eaglet was rescued Tuesday morning from the side of a cliff in California, the day after it was accidentally knocked out of its nest by its parent.

The rescue was performed by researchers on Catalina Island shortly before 11 a.m. and was livestreamed on a YouTube feed hosted by the Institute for Wildlife Studies.

The footage showed a rescuer - anchored to the cliff by a safety harness - placing the eaglet in a carrying bag and carrying it back up to the nest. The eaglet was returned to its home and was seen waiting for the elder bald eagle to return.

Video recorded Monday showed the eaglet being knocked out of the nest, which overlooks the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, after apparently being caught in one its parent's talons as the adult eagle flew away.

The eaglet tumbled partway down the cliff and was heard chirping helplessly as more than a thousand viewers watched the livestream.