A pair of mated bald eagles living in a nest atop Washington, D.C., are now the parents of two baby eaglets, a spectacle millions of Americans were able to witness live thanks to a hidden camera.
The first baby (nicknamed “DC2”) eagle emerged from its egg on Friday, followed by its sibling (“DC3”) Sunday, all covered in fuzzy gray feathers.
The parent eagles, nicknamed “Mr. President” and “First Lady” built their nest in a tulip poplar tree above the National Arboretum.
The American Eagle Foundation and the arboretum launched a live streaming D.C. Eagle Cam last month. The foundation said the eagles have been nesting at the site since October 2014 and raised one eaglet last summer, nicknamed “DC1.” They are the first pair of bald eagles to nest in the location since 1947.
The head of foundation said the birth of these two eaglets is a great way for a divided Washington to come together and celebrate the national bird of the United States.
“Judging from the monumental public interest the D.C. Eagle Cam is receiving, it 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,” said AEF founder and president Al Cecere.
The foundation says the newborn eaglets have “unsteady legs and heads” and will depend on their parents for safety, food and warmth. After 12 weeks of maturing into full-size juvenile eagles, flush with all-brown plumage, they will spend the following two weeks practicing flying by “wingersizing” and then actually attempting their first flights.
