The first of two eggs from a famous pair of bald eagles in California's Big Bear Valley has finally hatched!
The eaglet broke free from its shell Thursday afternoon. The moment was captured by a live webcam, which is focused on the nest 24/7, and watched by wildlife lovers around the globe. (embedded below)
It's the first healthy eaglet for parents Jackie and Shadow in two years.
"Shadow was on the nest for the hatching, he is a proud daddy," Friends of Big Bear Valley, a non-profit that operates the nest cam, wrote on Facebook.
The eaglet was the first of two eggs to hatch. Jackie laid the first egg on January 22 and the second on January 25.
"Shadow couldn't sit still, he was like an expectant father to be, pacing in the waiting room! From start to finish, this was less than 30 minutes," the organization said. "When Jackie returned, her back was to the camera so we did not get to see her reaction."
At this point, no signs of hatching have been observed on the second egg.
Birdwatchers are looking for a pip, which is a small crack in the shell made by the baby bird.
Bald eagles typically lay between one and three eggs and practice delayed incubation, meaning they wait until all eggs have been laid before the female begins incubation. This allows the eggs to cool down and slows development so the eaglets will hatch closer together, giving them a better chance of survival.
The first egg usually hatches around 38 to 39 days, Friends of Big Bear Valley explained, and the second egg should hatch one to two days later.
"For the chick, hatching is a very labor intensive process," the organization said. "It will work on the shell for awhile and then rest and sleep for long periods. Hatching can take 24 to 48 hours or longer."
Jackie and Shadow will work as a team to care for the eagle chicks. They will grow very quickly and be nearly as large as their parents in about six weeks, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Within two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half months, the eaglets will be ready to fly.
Jackie and Shadow have incubated nine eggs over the last three years, but only one eaglet has survived. Some of the eggs have failed to successfully hatch, while others were eaten by ravens.
The eagles' nest is located about 145 feet up in a Jeffrey Pine tree within the San Bernardino National Forest in an area that is closed to the public during nesting season.
The live webcam has been watching over the nest since 2015. Jackie has been living in the nest since 2017. Shadow joined her in 2018 and the two have been a mating pair ever since.
In 2019, Jackie laid two eggs, but only one eaglet survived. The next year, Jackie laid two eggs but both failed to hatch, either because they were not fertilized or development was stopped early on. Last year, Jackie laid three eggs in January and two more in February. Three of the eggs were eaten by ravens, one egg broke before the laying process was complete, and one eaglet did not survive the hatching process.
Even though the loss of the eggs seem to impact Jackie and Shadow, the birds eventually recover and continue to visit the nest and bond as a pair, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
You can watch Jackie and Shadow on the popular Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam.
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