First crack in DC eagles' egg at National Arboretum

The first crack appeared this morning in one of the eagle eggs from U.S. National Arboretum eagle parents Mr. President and The First Lady.

The egg was laid on February 19, and now that the first crack, or "pip," has been spotted, the American Eagle Foundation (AEF) says it could take anywhere from 12 hours to 2 days for the eaglet to fully hatch. A second egg was laid four days after its sibling and may also hatch in a few days; the average incubation period is 35 days.

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"This is a very special time in the nest," says AEF Founder & President Al Cecere on AEF's website. "To witness the up close process of an eaglet breaking through its shell is wonderfully heartwarming. We hope both eaglets hatch this week and show signs of good health."

Mr. P and The First Lady have a wild nest at the top of a Tulip Poplar at the National Arboretum. The pair has already raised three eaglets, two last year named Freedom and Liberty, and one in 2015. According to AEF, the public will have a chance to brainstorm real names for the two forthcoming eaglets, tentatively dubbed DC4 and DC5 for now.

The eagle parents have their own Twitter page (Mr. P & First Lady), and just posted a photo of the hatching egg. You can watch the egg hatch at dceagleam.org, and follow on Twitter with #dceaglecam.