Millions watched in awe early Sunday when a second bald eagle hatched live on the Washington, D.C., Eagle Nest Cam at the National Arboretum.
DC3, the second healthy eaglet of Mr. President and The First Lady, came to life at around 3 in the morning — more than 12 hours earlier than anticipated — high in a tulip poplar tree, wobbly-headed and sheathed in fuzzy gray downy feathers. It joined its older sibling DC2, which hatched last Friday.
The eagle cam has received phenomenal public response since the website launch on Feb. 15 — since starting, the live cams have been viewed more than 7 million times. The official hashtag #dceaglecam also trended all over the World Wide Web.
Twitter went abuzz with congratulations, with personalities such as Jill Biden, the vice president's wife, tweeting: "Congratulations to 'Mr. President' and 'The First Lady' on the arrival of two eaglets!" Some even took it as a sign of spring's arrival.
Nonprofit group American Eagle Foundation Founder and President Al Cecere highlighted the unifying purpose of the live hatching caught by the eagle cam.
"[I]t seems that citizens across America have momentarily put their political differences and disagreements aside to share and enjoy together the special importance, wonder, and meaning of their symbolic National Bird," Cecere says.
Wildlife biologist Daniel Rauch of the Department of Energy and Environment reported midmorning of Sunday that DC3 had already eaten and was recovering from its premature hatching. Both baby birds are not expected to leave the popular nest until 12 or 13 weeks of age. Their gender, too, remains unknown.
In the next 12 weeks they will slowly transform into full-fledged young eagles with pure brown plumage. While still dependent on their parents, they will start using their natural skills in self-feeding and "wingersizing," or learning how to use their wings.
AEF, in partnership with the National Arboretum, has been keeping a close eye on the bald eagle couple since they arrived in 2014, providing live nest viewing on Eagles.org or DCEagleCam.org. The special moments include the time the eagles undertook winter-time "nestorations" and their first laying of an egg on Feb. 10.
The well-loved eagle pair is the first to nest in the area since 1947. Bald eagles were removed from the endangered list in 2007 and have continued to improve in numbers since then. Birds of prey that reuse the same nest for a few years, they build upon their existing homes each breeding season and create a massive shelter that can reach more than a ton in weight.
The project partners are hopeful that the two new bald eagles will fledge their nest in the summer, although it should be noted that this is a wild nest — factors such as sibling rivalry, natural events and predation could affect the family and the quality of viewing via live cams.
