Bird lovers around the world are waiting with bated breath for a pair of bald eagle chicks to hatch -- something that could happen at any moment now.
A live webcam is focused on the nest high above California's Big Bear Valley where parents Jackie and Shadow have been taking turns protecting the eggs.
The eggs were laid in January and their incubation period is coming to an end.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, a non-profit organization that operates the Eagle Cam, said the first "pip" was spotted Wednesday afternoon. A pip is a small crack made by the chick that signals the first sign of hatching.
Now, the wait is on. It can take a day or more for a hatchling to completely break free after cracking the egg, according to the National Eagle Center. It's also unclear when a pip might appear on the second egg.
Jackie laid the first egg on January 22 at 15:43:26 and the second egg on January 25 at 15:43:19 -- just seven seconds short from being exactly three days apart, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
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 chicks will hatch closer together, giving them a better chance of survival.
"Due to delayed incubation, the first egg usually hatches around 38 to 39 days, the second egg hatches 1 to 2 days after the first," Friends of Big Bear Valley explained.
Wildlife officials predicted the eggs would begin hatching around March 1, and it looks like they were almost right on the money.
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 are located within the San Bernardino National Forest in an area that is closed to the public during this period when disturbances can cause nest abandonment. At 7,000 feet in elevation, this is the highest known bald eagle nest, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
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.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram