Did Decorah Eagle Egg Pip? Chicks Might Hatch On Live Cam Today [POLL]

Eggciting news for those who have been closely watching the Decorah Eagle live stream, because pipping season seems to be under way! Apparently, the first pip of the season is already hatching, and just in time. Experts predicted the Iowa eagle chicks would begin to emerge from their shells on April 1. This isn’t an April Fools’ joke either: All the action can be viewed live on Ustream, courtesy of the Raptor Research Project.

The RRP set up cameras in multiple locations for the 2014 mating season to make sure viewers would be able to see the eggs get laid, pip and ultimately hatch. A pip is when the hatchling begins to crack its shell from the inside. The RRP, which specializes in birds of prey, wrote on their Facebook page Tuesday that the first pip happened around 12:08 p.m. EST.

“We may have a first pip in Decorah! If we have a pip, hatch should occur within the next 24 hours,” the RRP wrote. “Stay tuned!” As a way to encourage their young, mother and father eagles usually chirp at their pipping hatchlings.

There still hasn’t been an officially confirmation from the RRP that pipping has started since they cannot get a clear view of the nest. The parents reportedly are keeping it covered with fluffy grass.

Earlier in the day the Decorah Eagle Cam feed was off line, along with many in the Iowa location near Decorah. Luckily, the feed, which has more than 275 million viewers at the moment, has been restored.

According to the RRP, eagles usually take anywhere from 35 to 39 days to hatch. It’s believed the first egg will hatch on April 1, the second on April 3 and the last one on April 6.

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