It’s currently nesting season for Bald Eagles and if you were tuned into the eagle nest on the campus of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ National Conservation Training Center over the weekend, you’d know that the first and second eaglet hatched.
As for the third and final egg laid, a pip had been observed earlier this morning as per the comments in the Eagle cam discussion. A pip refers to the hole that baby birds make in the eggshell, signaling the hatching process. And as of 10:01 am this morning, the third and final baby eagle hatched!
Don’t worry if you missed the incredible event on the 24/7 livestream because you can catch up with the little one right now on the Eagle cam.
The Eagle cam was first installed in 2005 to give bird watchers and eagle enthusiasts the chance to closely observe the magic of each nesting season. It operates in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Outdoor Channel, and the Friends of the National Conservation Training Center.
The West Virginia nest is home to Bald Eagles, Bella and Scout, the parents of the three new eaglets. The Bald Eagle pair has been breeding together since Scout joined the nest in 2023. Bella has been at the nest on the campus since 2019.
Last nesting turned into quite the tragedy after Bella momentarily left the nest, and the father, Scout, mistook the newborn as prey and ate the hatchling.
“Bird behavior is complex and driven by hormones and instinct. It is best not to think of birds of prey in human terms and having human emotions. Bald eagles are naturally predatory and aggressive; that’s the only way they can survive. Every day, they hunt to live,” explained NCTC. “This behavior, while heartbreaking, has been observed in other nests and is not uncommon in birds of prey.”
Following this year’s third and final eaglet hatching, we can only hope it doesn’t meet the same fate as last season. Stay tuned with the latest happenings this season by checking the NCTC eagle nest updates page.