Tree that held bald eagle nest at Lake Natoma falls, nonprofit says
RUFFLED FEATHERS OVER THEIR NEW NEIGHBORS. HIGH ABOVE LAKE NATOMA IN A TREETOP. OH, MY GOSH, YOU REALLY CAN WITH THE NAKED EYE. LOOK CLOSELY AND YOU’LL SEE A NEST OF NATOMAS NEIGHBORS. THEY’RE JUST MAJESTIC. THEY’RE JUST. THEY JUST REPRESENT AS NATURE AND THEY’RE AMAZING CREATURES. BALD EAGLES WHO WERE ONCE ENDANGERED HAVE A LOT OF FANS, JUST LIKE THE ROCK BAND WITH THE SAME NAME AND THE FOOTBALL TEAM THAT WON THE SUPER BOWL. THE EAGLES ARE MAKING A MIRACULOUS COMEBACK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALMOST LOST THEM. TIM CASCIO IS WITH THE NONPROFIT FULL FAN FRIENDS OF LAKE, FOLSOM AND NATOMAS, AND THEY NAMED THE EAGLES MAMA AND PAPA AND HAVE BEEN TRACKING THE NESTING COUPLE FOR EIGHT YEARS WITH A LIVE CAMERA STREAMING ON YOUTUBE AND IN PERSON. WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT HERE VISITING THE NEST, AND ON WEEKENDS WE HAVE DOCENTS THAT SET UP SCOPES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE CLOSE UP INTO THE NEST. MATT FERRON, WHO LIVES IN FOLSOM, LIKES TO CAPTURE HIS FASCINATION WITH THE BIRDS ON FILM. THEY’RE THE BIRD OF AMERICA, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PRIDE WITH THAT AND JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE THEM WORK IN NATURE AND BEING ABLE TO SEE THEM FLY UP AND DOWN THROUGH THE LAKE AND CATCH FISH, IT’S JUST FASCINATING. FULL FAN SAYS THIS COUPLE HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AT MATING. THE TWO NEW EAGLETS IN THE NEST. RIGHT NOW ARE NUMBERS 20 AND 21. OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, AND THEY BELIEVE THERE’S EVEN A THIRD EGG IN THAT NEST. BUT THE PROTECTIVE PARENTS ARE SPREADING THEIR WINGS EVEN MORE NOW THAT SOME UNWANTED NEIGHBORS MAGPIES, HAVE MOVED IN UPSTAIRS. THEY’RE HARASSING THE BALD EAGLES. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO COME OF THIS. THE BALD EAGLES COULD JUST DECIDE AT ANY MOMENT. YOU GUYS ARE OUT OF HERE AND THEY’LL TAKE ACTION. OBSERVERS ARE TUNING IN FOR THE FEUDING FEATHERS. THERE’S NOW A NEW NEST UP THERE OF MAGPIES. SO A LITTLE DRAMA AND IT’S JUST SO FUN. IT’S GREAT. KEEP WATCHING THOUGH, BECAUSE THIS SUMMER MAMA AND PAPA WILL LEAVE THE NEST TO TEACH THEIR EAGLETS HOW TO HUNT IN THE WATER OF LAKE NATOMA IN ORANGEVILLE, MICHELLE BANDUR KCRA THREE NEWS. I’M GOING TO PUT MY MONEY ON THE EAGLES THERE, I THINK. WELL, HERE’S A WHO PICKS A FIGHT WITH A BALD EAGLE. I DON’T KNOW. WELL, HERE’S A LIVE LOOK AT THE NEST RIGHT NOW, AND WE CAN SEE ONE OF THE PARENTS THERE. WE ALSO LEARNED HOW YOU CAN TELL MAMA AND PAPA APART IF YOU’VE GOT SOME GOOD BINOCULARS. WHEN YOU’RE THERE, YOU CAN SEE THEM TOGETHER IN THE NEST. MAMA HAPPENS TO BE LARGER, AS IS THE CASE WITH MOST FEMALE BALD EAGLES, AND THE OBSERVERS SAY THAT PAPA EAGLE LOOKS LIKE HE’S WEARING EYELINER. HE’S GOT A LITTLE BLACK CIRCLE THERE AROUND HIS EYES THERE, AND YOU CAN FIND THIS AT LIKE YOU
Tree that held bald eagle nest at Lake Natoma falls, nonprofit says
Updated: 2:17 PM PST Jan 4, 2026
A tree that held a bald eagle nest at Lake Natoma, a popular spot for avid birdwatchers, fell over the weekend, according to residents in the area and a nonprofit group that monitors the raptors.Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma (FOLFAN) affectionately refer to the bald eagle pair that nest there as “Mama and Papa.” The group previously told KCRA 3 that the pair came to the spot at Lake Natoma in 2017. (Previous coverage of the eagles in the video player above.)In a social media post, the group said the tree fell sometime during the night or early Sunday morning.Jim Cassio, president of FOLFAN, told KCRA 3 that they’re confident that no eagles were present when the tree fell. The group noted that the eagle they call “Papa” was seen flying around where the tree once stood. Last year, thousands of residents and visitors followed along as Mama and Papa raised their eaglets. One positive note, FOLFAN said, was that there were no eggs in the nest when it fell. Cassio said it’s likely that the eagles will remain at Lake Natoma and find a different tree to build a nest in, but that’s not guaranteed. The group’s lead docent, Kathy Kayner, said the eagles could rebuild a nest in four to seven days. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. —
A tree that held a bald eagle nest at Lake Natoma, a popular spot for avid birdwatchers, fell over the weekend, according to residents in the area and a nonprofit group that monitors the raptors.
Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma (FOLFAN) affectionately refer to the bald eagle pair that nest there as “Mama and Papa.” The group previously told KCRA 3 that the pair came to the spot at Lake Natoma in 2017.
(Previous coverage of the eagles in the video player above.)
In a social media post, the group said the tree fell sometime during the night or early Sunday morning.
Jim Cassio, president of FOLFAN, told KCRA 3 that they’re confident that no eagles were present when the tree fell.
The group noted that the eagle they call “Papa” was seen flying around where the tree once stood.
Last year, thousands of residents and visitors followed along as Mama and Papa raised their eaglets.
One positive note, FOLFAN said, was that there were no eggs in the nest when it fell.
Cassio said it’s likely that the eagles will remain at Lake Natoma and find a different tree to build a nest in, but that’s not guaranteed. The group’s lead docent, Kathy Kayner, said the eagles could rebuild a nest in four to seven days.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel