A popular Florida bald eagle, nicknamed F23, is presumed dead nearly one week after going missing from her nest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The Southwest Florida Eagle Cam announced the news following reports that a deceased eagle, which \u201cmost likely died from blunt force trauma due to a vehicle strike,” was found two miles away from F23’s nest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
F23’s mate, M15, has been\u00a0\u201ctaking great care\u201d of their baby eagle, E26, in the meantime and \u201cproviding food and protection\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Animal lovers fear that one of Florida’s most famous bald eagles is dead.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, March 4, Southwest Florida Eagle Cam<\/a>, which provided livestream access to the nest of wild bald eagles F23 and M15, posted on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0that its famous female bald eagle, F23, is likely dead after disappearing from her nest for several days.<\/p>\n F23 was last seen at her Florida nest, which she shared with her mate, M15, and their baby eagle, E26, at around 8 a.m. on Feb. 27, the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam said in a post<\/a> on Sunday, March 1.<\/p>\n In a follow-up, the operators of the eagle cam said they received “credible” reports that a deceased eagle was found less than two miles away from F23’s nest, leading them to presume the bird is F23.<\/p>\n “This is a deeply sad day for our community. We were blessed to observe F23 for just two and a half seasons, but in that short time, her eagerness to learn, her devotion to M, and her care for her eaglets were unmistakable,” Southwest Florida Eagle Cam said.<\/p>\n \u201cShe grew before our eyes, and so many of us felt connected to her journey,\u201d the post continued. \u201cLoss in the wild is never easy to witness. It is a sobering reminder that nature, while beautiful, can also be unforgiving.\u201d<\/p>\n Southwest Florida Eagle Cam said there was no \u201cdefinitive way\u201d to confirm that the dead eagle found and reported to authorities was F23.<\/p>\n Bald eagle F23 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) told Southwest Florida Eagle Cam that \u201cno evidence of foul play was observed\u201d with the dead eagle, and that it \u201cmost likely died from blunt force trauma due to a vehicle strike.\u201d<\/p>\n Southwest Florida Eagle Cam shared that bald eagles are often “drawn to roadways” due to roadkill, but because of their “size and slower lift-off speed,” they can be “especially vulnerable to vehicle strikes.”<\/p>\n In light of F23’s disappearance, M15 has been\u00a0“taking great care” of eaglet E26 and “providing food and protection” to the young bird, according to Southwest Florida Eagle Cam. They added,\u00a0“Please give M15 space to deal with what he needs to do at this time.”<\/p>\n F23 in her nest before her presumed death Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n This is possibly the second time that M15 has lost a mate, according to local outlet WFLA<\/a>. His previous mate, Harriet, is assumed dead after disappearing from their nest years ago.<\/p>\n Tragedy struck M15 and F23 last season as well, when they lost two of their eaglettes \u2014 E24 and E25 \u2014 to avian influenza, per WFLA.<\/p>\n![\"Bald](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cfd476be27ee15ef7fc3191b22863c49.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Southwest Florida Eagle Cam<\/p>\n![\"F23](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/65ca7ed6acaed5509c6f7232d7ced527.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Southwest Florida Eagle Cam<\/p>\n