The first egg laid by a pair of bald eagles in California’s Big Bear Valley is unlikely to survive or hatch, eagle experts announced Thursday.
Great eagle expert Sandy Stairs said in an interview with KTLA that the first egg was laid more than 38 days ago, which is longer than the period of time bald eagle eggs typically incubate before hatching.
Steers said the other eggs are still healthy and could potentially hatch.
The eagle family is receiving national attention as the potential hatching of a new chick approaches. Viewers have been watching the birds care for their eggs with nest cameras.
In January, a mother bald eagle named Jackie laid three eggs in a tree overlooking Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains.
She has been tending to the eggs and keeping them warm for more than a month, even though winter storms brought snow to the area.
Friends in Big Bear Valley who installed a nest camera in 2015 told The Associated Press that Jackie sometimes took nearly 62 hours to incubate her eggs. However, the father, known as Shadow, has also been seen taking care of the eggs.
This is the second year in a row that Jackie and Shadow have been hoping to welcome offspring. Jackie reportedly laid an egg last year, but he did not develop into a chick.
The bald eagle, the only eagle found only in North America, has made a comeback in recent decades. It was listed as an endangered species in 1978. Wildlife conservation efforts have increased wild populations.
According to the federal government, there are currently more than 315,000 bald eagles in the wild, with 71,000 nesting pairs. Due to population growth, authorities have allowed the bald eagle to be removed from the endangered species list.
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