Two Oldsmar eaglets, adult eagle feared dead by bird advocates from secondary rat poisoning

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Rodenticide may be to blame for the deaths of two eaglets and an adult eagle in Oldsmar. This comes as the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay reports treating more than 70 birds suspected of secondary rat poisoning in the last year.

For the last 11 years, Louise Roy has been watching and photographing the same adult male eagle she nicknamed "Major." He and his female mate "Majorie" have been tending to their two eaglets in their nest atop a power line in Oldsmar for the last few weeks. 

But last week, Roy noticed all the activity at the nest had stopped. Now, the female can be seen guarding it from a nearby pole.

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"She's feeding those babies every couple hours. For her not to go in the nest and feed the babies, I know something is wrong," said Roy, who is also a Raptor Center of Tampa Bay volunteer rescuer.

The male, Major, is also nowhere to be found, which is why Roy believes all three could be dead in the nest from secondary rat poisoning.

"Somebody posted they were finding dead squirrels," said Roy. "Major goes down to that pond. That's where they drink from. If he sees a dead squirrel on the ground, he's going take it."

While secondary poisoning is hard to prove without a necropsy, Roy said in her experience, the abrupt change in the female's behavior and activity at the nest are strong signs.

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"I'm just devastated. I mean, I've watched. He's been my joy. I mean, every morning I come, and I see him up there, I see him, bring him food as babies," Roy said.

As Roy explained, most rodenticides are so strong that any bird that eats a rodent killed by poison can still be poisoned themselves. It's why she urges people with a rodent problem to use traps instead of chemicals.

"They're just so beautiful and to see one that I used to see fly everywhere, not fly. It's devastating," Roy said.