The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center decided to end the livestream of Athena’s nest following the owlets’ deaths.
AUSTIN, Texas — Athena the great horned owl abandoned her nest at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center following the death of her two recently hatched owlets.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center posted an update on Sunday morning, announcing that her second owlet died overnight. The center previously announced the death of the other owlet two days prior.
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The center, who had livestreamed the nest in partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University, decided to end the stream following the second owlet’s death.
Athena, who returned to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on March 4 for her 16th consecutive year, laid her first egg on March 5 and her second egg on March 9.
The first owlet hatched Wednesday, April 8. Officials said Athena surprised staff and viewers with the unexpected hatch. Typically, a “pip” — a small hole the owlet makes in the egg to begin hatching — signals that the process is underway. This time, no pip was spotted before the owlet’s arrival.
Athena’s second egg hatched on April 10.
“Despite Athena’s efforts over the past several days, the owlet did not survive,” the center wrote on social media Sunday morning, adding that the exact cause of the death for the owlets is unknown. The center went on to say that Athena had not been at the nest, but was still seen in nearby trees.
Athena first appeared at the Wildflower Center in 2012 and returned in 2015, when she laid three eggs. She laid one egg in 2019 and has laid two each year since. Officials say prior to this year, she had successfully raised her owlets every year except once, when she abandoned her nest and eggs.