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Miami Herald

Bald eagle baby is first to hatch in New Jersey nest. See the ‘precious' little fluff

A 'precious' bald eagle baby is the first of three to break out of its egg in a New Jersey nest. The eaglet hatched at 6:32 a.m. Feb. 25 in Duke Farms, a nature preserve in Hillsborough Township, the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey said in a Facebook post. The nonprofit monitors the nest at Duke Farms. A pip was visible on the egg a day before the eaglet hatched completely, the nonprofit said. A pip appears when the eaglet makes a crack in the egg. The eaglet then 'slipped out of the shell,' the wildlife organization said. Photos from the live Duke Farms Eagle Cam show the gray fluffy chick getting fed by one of its parents, likely the mother. Once an eaglet hatches, the mom will feed it pieces of meat brought by the dad, according to the Avian Report. Fish carcasses are visible in this nest, and they're likely what the eagle mom is feeding her chick. Eaglets have poor vision and are very weak when they first hatch, which is why many call them 'bobbleheads' as they struggle to control their little bodies, according to the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. 'Now the fun begins…watching the lil bobble head eat and grow and one day turn into a magnificent adult,' one person commented on Facebook. 'Precious. I love seeing the eagles care for their offspring! So caring!' another person commented. The two other eggs may hatch in the coming days. But for now, the bald eagle mother will continue to feed her first little one and keep it warm. In Southern California, bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are tending to three eggs as a possible hatch date quickly approaches, McClatchy News reports.