{"id":837404,"date":"2026-06-01T19:05:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/837404\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T19:05:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:05:15","slug":"white-rock-eaglet-tumbles-out-of-nest-heres-what-we-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/837404\/","title":{"rendered":"White Rock eaglet tumbles out of nest. Here\u2019s what we know"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"One<\/p>\n

One of White Rock bald eagles Nick and Nora\u2019s three eaglets tumbled out of the nest this weekend. See how Dallas Parks and Recreation plans to keep the eaglets safe as they learn how to fly in this new stage of growth.<\/p>\n

El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News\"People<\/p>\n

People gather to watch a pair of bald eagles and their three eaglets at White Rock Lake on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n

El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News\"A<\/p>\n

A sign warns people to keep their distance from the bald eagle nest at White Rock Lake on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n

El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n

Since March<\/a>, Dallasites have been captivated by three baby eagles at White Rock Lake. These eaglets, whose parents have been named Nick and Nora by White Rock residents, are now ready to begin leaving their nest as they learn to fly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Related:<\/strong> Baby eaglets ruffle some feathers at White Rock Lake as they learn to fly<\/a><\/p>\n

But around 6 p.m. Friday, Brett Johnson, the conservation manager for Dallas Park and Recreation, began receiving calls from concerned park visitors reporting one of the eaglets had fallen from the nest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Upon arrival, he found these reports to be true, and stayed until 10:30 p.m. to speak with the crowd of curious visitors about the bird. He explained to onlookers that \u201caround this time of year, it\u2019s a perfectly normal process because they are starting to learn how to fly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Johnson said he and the city\u2019s urban biologist are at the scene at alternating times nearly every day to monitor the eaglets and ensure visitors are following safety restrictions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He also took to Facebook to ease concerns. \u201cDO NOT panic,\u201d Johnson wrote in a post <\/a>to the Nick and Nora Fan Page Facebook group. He addressed the eagles\u2019 alarmed fans, telling them not to worry if they cannot see the baby eaglet near the nest, as it could be hiding. He added not to be shocked if the adults are not immediately around the nest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saturday morning, Johnson said, crowds began gathering, trying to get a glimpse of the newly-grounded eaglet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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He grew concerned at how many visitors had gotten within five to 15 feet of the eaglet, prompting Park and Recreation to enforce further restrictions to keep the bird safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Park and Recreation closed the road near the eagles\u2019 nest to walkers and bikers along East Lawther Drive between the playground and the Dreyfuss split. The playground in the area is also closed. White Rock Lake Loop Trail remains open.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So far, the results of these restrictions have been mixed, with Johnson noticing some lake visitors ignoring closure signs. He said the department is working to find a resolution.<\/p>\n

Johnson said if cyclists and pedestrians travel too close to the grounded eaglet, the parents may not fly down to give it food and only feed the eaglets still in the nest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These restrictions will remain in place until the birds have powered flight, Johnson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\nHow do eaglets learn to fly?<\/strong>\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The fall marks a transition period in the eaglets\u2019 growth stages.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The eaglets have moved on from the branching stage and are now beginning to fly, said Rebecca Hamlin, president of the North Texas Wildlife Center, a nonprofit wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hamlin said falling out of the nest is normal at this stage, which the birds are prepared to undergo after spending time branching \u2013 when they hop between branches.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are clumsy, off balance and may even miss landings and fall sometimes. This is all part of their learning process,\u201d she wrote in a statement to The Dallas Morning News. She added that the time they spend in this phase of growth can vary between a few days to a couple of weeks. Afterward, they will spend time with their parents post-fledging, or when the young birds leave the nest but are not yet independent in survival.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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By Saturday, Johnson said the eaglet had become more mobile. Soon, it will begin climbing the nesting tree while gliding around to practice flight. It could be several days until the bird returns to the nest, he said.<\/p>\n

The reason one of the eaglets began this stage before the others is because eagles lay their eggs over several days, Hamlin explained, so incubating and hatching can occur days apart, causing the eagles to reach stages of growth at different rates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hamlin urges observers to contact appropriate authorities, including game wardens, local police authorities and permitted wildlife rehabilitators, if they notice any risk of natural predation or human impact on the eaglets, as they are vulnerable at this stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She recommends park visitors avoid visiting the area during this stage of the eaglet\u2019s development in order to protect their wellbeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cApproaching too closely can cause stress, interrupt feeding or even lead adults to abandon nests temporarily, leaving eggs or chicks vulnerable,\u201d Hamlin wrote. \u201cSigns of stress may include repeated calling, alarm postures, frequent head-turning toward you, wing spreading or leaving a perch unexpectedly. If a bird appears agitated or changes its behavior because of your presence, move farther away immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nWhat is Dallas Parks and Recreation doing to protect the eaglets as they grow?<\/strong>\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Before this weekend\u2019s new restrictions, Park and Recreation already had measures in place to protect the eaglets as they grow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A May 4 notice <\/a>from Park and Recreation alerted people to the park\u2019s monitoring of the eaglets and said they would soon enter the branching stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring this time, young eagles may be on the ground or perched in low trees as they build strength and coordination. This is a normal and essential part of their development \u2014 and a unique opportunity to observe wildlife thriving in an urban park setting,\u201d the news release said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The notice said that in preparation for this stage, extra signage had been posted in the area urging park visitors to minimize volume, keep pets leashed and not approach the eagles should they be on the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The notice also said staff would begin to place water filled barriers around the area once the eagles began to fly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dallas Park and Recreation\u2019s Conservation and Forestry site urges park visitors, birdwatchers and photographers to keep their distance from the bald eagles, staying at least 300 feet away from nests.<\/p>\n

The notice additionally reminds visitors that bald eagles are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The department is working with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to manage the protection of the birds, the notice said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time is an extremely sensitive time for these young birds and the adults. The young may fall from the trees and may flap around as though in distress as they go through the process of learning to fly,\u201d the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said in the news release.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of White Rock bald eagles Nick and Nora\u2019s three eaglets tumbled out of the nest this weekend.…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":837405,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,1596,358,290169,329440,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,160759],"class_list":["post-837404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-america","tag-dallas","tag-texas","tag-tp-dallas","tag-tp-parks","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-white-rock-lake"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116676417624588364","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/837404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=837404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/837404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/837405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=837404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=837404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=837404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}