Abandonment by Little Eagles Hieraaetus morphnoides of a nest infested with beetles.

A pair of Little Eagles Hieraaetus morphnoides in the Australian Capital Territory was recorded (on closed-circuit camera) feeding and mating on a nest and had added a layer of green pine sprigs in preparation for egg-laying. Many beetles, likely a species of Dermestidae, were recorded in the nest during the time that the birds were there. The Eagles abandoned the nest and moved to another 1.7 km away, where they laid a clutch. It is possible that the beetle infestation was the cause of abandonment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]