How Big Bears bald eagle live cam took America by storm at exactly the perfect moment
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From the three graces in both Greek and Roman mythology to the three wise men in the story of Jesuss birth, the number three has been heralded throughout history as a symbol of balance and harmony.Jackie and Shadow, the internet-famous bald eagles of Big Bear, California, would probably agreetheir last egg has hatched, bringing their final chick count this season to three.These little fluffs might not have names yet, but they do already have a fanbase of 1.73 million people (and counting) following their journey. Lets break down the numbers and timeline of Chick 3s arrival in the nest.The webcam that captured the attention of the worldThe bald eagle live streams are run by the nonprofit, Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV). Little did this small-but-mighty group of staff and volunteers know how many people their efforts would reach.According to Jenny Voisard, FOBBVs media and website manager, a record-breaking 100,000 people concurrently tuned in to the cameras live stream at one point this year to cheer on the expecting parents. FOBBVs website received 950,000 unique visitors in a week, causing it to crash several times. It now has a dedicated server to handle all the love.Meanwhile, all this attention translated to social media followers. Its Instagram just launchedand already has more than 46,000 fans. The public Facebook page has close to one million followers, with some posts being shared 15,000 times.And lets not forget the YouTube channel, with almost 500,000 subscribers. The hatching journey of chick number 3Jackie laid her third and final egg on January 28. The average incubation period for a bald eagle is around 35 days. So, there on March 6, a snowy cold morning in Big Bear, at 10:21 a.m., the first pip, or crack, was spotted.By 10:53 a.m. it had grown. The hatching process typically takes a couple days, and the snowy conditions kept Jackie firmly on the nest to keep her chicks warm and out of sight. Two days later, at 2:11 a.m., a new chick was visible, but not quite out of the shell. By 6:13 a.m., chick number 3 had completed its journey and was present for the early-morning feeding.Since its birth, chick 3 has received multiple feedings from its parents. Its eyesight is still developing, so sometimes it takes a moment to get situated.It has also experienced some danger: Ravens have attempted to infiltrate the nest, but Jackie called out to Shadow, and the parents worked together to scare the intruders away. The neighborhood flying squirrel, Fiona, also tried to visit, but Jackies wing slaps got her to mind her own business.Chick 3 will have to learn to get along with its siblings. Its normal to see some jostling around as one chick emerges as the dominant sibling. They will also bonk each other on the head but soon find their rhythm and, uh, pecking order.At around 10 to 12 weeks, these eaglets will fledge, or leave the nest, for the first time. They typically hang out close to home for a couple months before they completely strike out on their own.To catch them before they fly away, check out the webcam embedded here.
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