PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The popular Hays bald eagle camera got some major upgrades, and it’s expected to enhance the experience for everyone watching the popular birds.
The biggest thing people may notice is the webcam is now 24/7. One of the biggest challenges was deciding when to give the camera power, but it’s no longer an issue.
WATCH: Hays Bald Eagle Cam
Millions have watched the eagle camera since it started 11 years ago. The camera ran off solar power, which as Rachel Handel with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania pointed out, can be a problem around here.
“With Pittsburgh weather, a lot of times we had to shut down that camera at night to make sure we had power for it to be up during the day,” she said over Zoom.
Even moving the camera had to be calculated along with any nighttime video because it required more power, so big moments sometimes weren’t seen because the camera had to be off.
“We’ve actually missed the first eggs laid when they’re laid early because we don’t have the cam powered up,” said Bill Powers, the founder of PixCams Inc.