Location: This hidden gem is located in the MK Nature Center in Boise, ID (see the Clue Me! Map). Bald Eagles build the largest nest of any bird in North America. Touring one of these "homes" is astonishing.

The average eagle nest is about 6-10 feet in diameter, and 4-10 feet high. The nest cavity is about half the diameter, and is padded with soft vegetation like moss or grass.

Even though an average nest might seem large, by the time you get the whole fam damily in there (with a couple of almost-adult-sized fledglings petitioning for food all the time) it probably doesn't seem that big! According to Audubon Center for Birds of Prey:

“At six to seven weeks old, eaglets stand upright, scream loudly for food, take “hop flights” hovering above the nest and play games. Lone eaglets occasionally exhibit play behavior, pouncing on items in the nest, or even tugging the adult’s feathers. Multiple chick nests provide observers with entertainment as the eaglets steal food from each other, play tug-of-war, chase each other around the nest and engage in other youthful antics.”

Eagles mate for life, and reuse the same nest for decades. They continually make home improvements on their nests, adding new nesting materials. This adds a foot or two each year. With these additions each year, an eagle nest needs a healthy, sturdy tree to support it.

The largest recorded nest was nearly 10 feet wide, 20 feet deep, and weighed almost 2 tons. That means that the tree was supporting the weight of about 20 pigs ready for market! But, alas, pigs can't fly...

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Here's the hidden gem entry from our Clue Me! map.

Clue

A stick house

Description

The eagle nest

Why It's Interesting

The fact that you can get right up next to, and even into, this huge nest.

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