A bald eagle named Jackie is sitting on 2 eggs in a nest in Big Bear, California. The eagle laid the eggs in January and the eggs are expected to begin hatching today.
The soon-to-be parents have turned into internet stars. As many as 5,000 people have tuned in to watch the livestream on a daily basis.
The nest is perched about 120 feet above Big Bear Lake in a Jeffrey pine tree. The nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley, whose mission is to safeguard the local habitat, paid about $10,000 to install the camera about 5 years ago. Each year, the group pays about the same amount to maintain and upgrade the camera system.
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Once the chicks hatch, Jackie and Shadow will stay close to feed them and then to teach them how to hunt.
If they thrive, it will take about 10 to 12 weeks for the chicks to fledge, which is when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It takes about 5 years for bald eagles to gain the white head and tail and be ready to mate. Two chicks were hatched in the nest last year, but one of them died.
