A weakened tree dying of old age resulted in the collapse of a bald eagles' nest at Standley Lake on Thursday afternoon. The only offspring in the nest, a five-week-old eaglet named SL1, died during a fall from the tree. 

"The cottonwood supporting the nest split down the middle," Standley Lake Regional Park stated in confirming the sad news. "There were not high winds at the time, but the tree was old, mostly dead and decayed which may have led to the split."

The eaglet was spotted flapping its wings on live camera early Thursday morning prior to the collapse. This nest is a particularly popular one thanks to a live camera that streams the happenings at the spot all hours of the day.

Eaglets exercise their wings by vigorous flapping in their nests and usually take their first flights after 9 to 10 weeks of age.

The eaglet will be cremated and buried with a sacred ceremony in a burial site located in Rocky Mountain Arsenal and National Wildlife Refuge. This site was created specifically for eagle burial by Tribal representatives from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, Oglala Lakota, and Southern Ute.

Staff at the park are currently working on a plan to restore a safe and secure home for the adult eagles who remain in the area.

This isn't the first tragedy of the year for eagles in Colorado. In April, two unhatched eaglets died after the dead tree holding their nest fell down and splashed into the water in Barr Lake State Park.

It's estimated that around 200 pairs of bald eagles call Colorado home.

Standley Lake Regional Park is a 2,321 acre park located in unincorporated Jefferson County. Encompassing 1,063-acres of surface area, Standley Lake is Westminster’s largest body of water.

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