The eaglets have landed, second egg on popular Hilton Head eagle cam hatched
Eagle parents Gracie and George welcomed their second and final eaglet of the season. The eagle family are the stars of Hilton Head Island Land Trust’s popular eagle cam. The last egg finished hatching Tuesday night after the first “pip,” or break in the egg appeared in the afternoon.
The second eaglet joins its sibling, who hatched Saturday evening, in the nest. Gracie and George have been nesting at the undisclosed location on Hilton Head Island for about 13 years, but this is their first season under the watchful eye of 1.7 million eagle cam viewers. Last year Gracie laid three eggs, though only two eaglets survived to fly away from the nest, a process known of fledging.
In the coming weeks the adult eagles will bring food to the nest, which they’ll have to tear up for the eaglets until they’re big enough to do it themselves at about five weeks old. At the moment, both eaglets appear healthy and ate peacefully Wednesday morning, according to Robin Storey, the president of the land trust.
Viewers should expect to see a behavior known as “bonking,” where the eaglets will compete for food their parents bring to the nest. While it can be hard for some viewers to watch, this behavior is normal for eaglets.
The eaglets will continue to grow about half a pound a week until they are about 9 weeks old.
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 11:53 AM.
