A pair of bald eagles in Minnesota have welcomed an eaglet into the world mere weeks after tragedy struck their nest.
The past few months have been difficult for the eagles featured on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) EagleCam, especially in February when a cold snap hit the region, the Sacramento Bee reported Monday.
During the cold weather, snow buried the mother who was protecting her two eggs in the nest. Video footage shows her rise up, then shake it off:
At one point, her mate brought food and helped incubate the eggs. But in a rare occurrence, one of the eggs broke.
Despite the tragic incident, the eagles continued protecting the second egg and waited for it to hatch. On Sunday, the egg finally hatched and a chick emerged, wildlife officials said.
Video footage captured the moments after the eaglet’s birth showing its parents keeping it warm by gently covering the baby with their feathers:
“Woo-hoo! The egg in the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife EagleCam has hatched and there’s an eaglet in the nest. The parents are already hard at work taking care of the new eagle,” the DNR told followers in a social media post on Monday.
An image shows the fuzzy eaglet pointing its beak into the sky:
In 1782, the bald eagle was named the national bird of the United States and placed on the Great Seal of the country, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Bald eagles, like other eagles worldwide, had been seen by many as symbols of strength, courage, freedom and immortality for generations. And, unlike other eagles, the bald eagle was indigenous only to North America,” the agency said, noting the American bald eagle is protected under the National Emblem Act of 1940.
“Most of the bald eagle population can now be found in northern regions of North America and Florida breeding sanctuaries,” it concluded.