Following the successful hatchings of two little eaglets this week, a third egg has hatched for internet-famous bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow. The third eaglet arrived before 6:13 a.m. PST on March 8.The third pip was confirmed on March 6 at 10:21 a.m. PST, only a few days after its older siblings emerged from their shells. Thousands around the world have been tuning into the livestream on YouTube run by the nonprofit organization Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV).This third egg began to pip during a snowstorm. However, the snow around the nest is also an insulating material, according to FOBBV. It limits heat exchange, stabilizes temperature, and muffles sound. Bald eagles have over 7,000 feathers and their core body temperature is roughly 105 degrees Fahrenheit, so they are built for the cold.For the chicks, hatching is a very strenuous process. After assuming a special hatching position from inside the egg, the chick will absorb the remaining yolk and fluids for energy. These nutrients will support the chick through the hatching process and within the first several hours after breaking out of its shell. The chick uses a special sharp protrusion at the top of its beak called an egg tooth to break through the various membranes and hard egg shell. This tooth will be visible after hatching, but eventually disappears.As oxygen levels inside the egg continue to decrease, the muscles at the back of the chicks neck start to contract. At this stage of development, this hatching muscle is the most well-developed muscle that the chick has. Once it makes that first pip, it can take its first gulp of air.After some rest and absorbing the rest of the egg fluids, the chick can start to vocalize and will make its first external pips in the shell. Its final push happens when the chick rotates inside the egg by pushing with its leg and using its egg tooth to scrape the eggshell.Only 50 percent of eagle eggs hatch, so this new brood has already beaten the odds. Jackie and Shadow first got together in 2018 and successfully raised chicks in 2019 and 2022, including one named Spirit. However, in 2023, their clutch was eaten by ravens. The pair laid three eggs in 2024, but those eggs failed to hatch.The third eaglet is hard to spot as it works on its neck strength. According to FOBBV, it may take some time for the hatchling to learn how to keeps its head up. Screenshot: FOBBV The post Jackie and Shadows third eaglet has landed appeared first on Popular Science.