The Pennsylvania Game Commission installed a camera to observe a pair of American bald eagles in Codorus State Park, and footage has revealed that the birds have laid their first eggs for the year. The first one was seen on Valentine's day while the second egg was spotted Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The park has been home to eagles for the last 11 years, with each pair typically laying two to three eggs, although as many as five may be found in a nest. Every egg is laid about two to three days apart but up to a week may pass before another egg is seen.
Eggs take about 34 to 36 days to develop so a hatching is expected in March, if all goes as planned. Chicks will make noises from inside their eggs to clue their mother in on their development. If a chick is not developing as it should, the mother will discard the problematic egg.
According to Benjamin Leese, education adviser from the York Audubon Society, birds have a brood patch, a feather-free spot under their bellies teeming with blood vessels. The eagles will use theirs to incubate their eggs, taking turns. The brood patch will stay nice and warm regardless of the weather so the incubating during the colder months will be no problem for the birds.
Once the chicks hatch, they will remain for another 70 to 90 days in the nest. Unlike other birds that are capable of following their parents within a few hours of hatching, eaglets are completely helpless, relying on their parents for food within that period.
About 12 chicks have successfully left their nest over the past few years while two inexplicably disappeared. Should anything like that happen again, officials and volunteers hope the camera watching over this particular nest will be able to shed light on the cause.
Eagles were taken off the endangered species list created by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and also Pennsylvania's threatened species list several years ago. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act is still in place, however, prohibiting anyone from coming within 660 feet of nests. It is important to maintain distance away from nests so as not to scare the adults away and cause them to abandon their young or eggs still developing.
Growing up to 2 feet in height and 14 pounds in weight, eagles have average wingspans of around 7 feet. The nests they build are usually 2 to 3 feet high and around 5 to 6 feet wide.
