Trio of bald eagles raise chicks as a team along Mississippi river

Trio's parenting efforts are livestreamed worldwide

An unconventional family of bald eagles comprised of two males and one female have been filmed raising eaglets together.

The trio were spotted living together along the Mississippi River near Fulton, Illinois.

The two males are sharing their second partner after their original female mate was killed by another eagle.

Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge have named the males Valor I and Valor II and the female Starr.

A webcam set up by the stewards in 2011 is allowing animal enthusiasts around the world watch live footage of the trio raising their chicks.

The original trio formed in 2013 when Valor I's previous partner chose Valor II as a new mate.

However Valor I hung around for the rest of the breeding season and, after their mate was killed in 2017, the pair courted new female Starr together later the same year.

Three eggs have been laid by Starr hatched this spring.

Press Association