Landmark: Pittsburgh Hays eagles successfully raises 10th eaglet, takes first flight

The Pittsburgh Hays bald eagle couple now has successfully raised 10 young eaglets.

The 10^th eaglet, known as H10, took its first flight on Sunday from the nest on a steep hillside above the Monongahela River in Hays near the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

The couple has been nesting on the same hillside since 2013. They are the first bald eagles to breed within Pittsburgh’s city limits in more than 150 years.

H10’s sibling, H9, fledged Wednesday.

Photographer Annette Devinney took a photo of one of the young fliers believed to be H-10 on Monday from the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

Photographers and watchers continue to monitor the eagle family from the trail as the young birds hone their flight skills and beg for food from their parents.

CSE Corp. of Murrysville will keep the live webcam on the nest as the eagles are expected to make some pit stops at the nest for the next two weeks.

The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (ASWP), a co-sponsor of the webcam, warns that the first weeks and first year of the young eaglets are the most dangerous as they learn to fly and to hunt for food.

“Some birds do not survive their first 24 hours,” said Jim Bonner, ASWP executive director, “but past eaglets from this pair have done well.”