California has welcomed its newest resident: a bald eagle hatchling who joined the world on Thursday shortly before a snowstorm in Big Bear.
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Bird fanatics watched in awe through a strategically placed live webcam as the eagle hatched in a nest 145 feet in the air. The chick's hatch has been highly anticipated since the egg was laid in January, as neither egg from the previous year survived.
MOUNTAIN SNOW STORM WELCOMES BIG BEAR'S NEWEST RESIDENT We know some of you probably stayed up fretting about the new bald eagle chick that hatched yesterday just a few hours before it started snowing. While bald eagle chicks don't start developing the insulating and water repellent feathers until they are a couple of weeks old, this little chick was well-protected all night underneath mom, who locals call Jackie. She has a "brood patch" where hormones caused some of her belly feathers to be shed during the incubation of the eggs. This allows her nice warm skin to make more direct contact with the egg (and now the chick). Isn't nature incredible?! We expect Egg #2 to show signs of hatching today or tomorrow. During hatching, the chick uses a "egg tooth" (a small projection on the beak that falls off after hatching) to poke a hole in the internal membrane. That is called the "internal pip." Then it starts working on poking a hole through the shell. That is called the "external pip" and that is the first external sign that we are looking for. Emerging from the shell can take a day or two—it's hard work for the chicks! If you are lucky enough to see a bald eagle while visiting the National Forest, remember to keep a good long distance to avoid disturbance. Check out the video. Jackie is returning from an hour break from nest duties. Hopefully she picked up breakfast while she was out. Shadow, the dad, is now out hunting and will probably deliver some food for Jackie and the chick. (Video courtesy @Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam)
Posted by U.S. Forest Service - San Bernardino National Forest on Friday, March 4, 2022
Bald eagle mates Jackie and Shadow have incubated nine eggs over the past three years, but only one eaglet lived, the organization operating the live camera, Friends of Big Bear Valley, reported.
The eagles are located within the San Bernardino National Forest in an area that is closed to the public to avoid disturbances. At 7,000 feet in elevation, this is the highest known bald eagle nest, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
A second egg was also laid three days after the first and is expected to hatch any day now. "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.
Awaiting the hatch of its sibling, the eaglet has stayed nuzzled in mom Jackie's feathers to avoid the cold.
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