2 bald eaglets have been born in this Blue Springs nest. See the new birds
The update you’ve all been waiting for has arrived: The bald eagle eggs have hatched.
The City of Blue Springs’ municipal government page on Facebook shared an update on their bald eagle livestream March 21 that the one of the eggs from bald eagle parents Liberty and Freedom have hatched, and an eaglet was spotted in the nest.
Liberty and Freedom had been hard at work taking care of the first eaglet, as fish remains can be seen laying in the nest. The parents will have to work even harder now.
On the morning of Tuesday, March 24, a second egg hatched, and a second eaglet was spotted.
It takes around 35 days for a bald eagle egg to hatch, according to nonprofit American Eagle Foundation. The Blue Springs eagles’ eggs took 31 and 34 days to hatch, respectively.
The bald eagles on the livestream laid three eggs, but the Missouri Department of Conservation said that when three eggs are laid, it’s rare for all of them to hatch and survive.
The City of Blue Springs says the third eaglet appears to have died in an update on social media, but did not share whether the eaglet died before or after it hatched. Erin Woodiel, the MDC media specialist for the Kansas City region, said before the eggs hatched that competition for resources can be tough.
“The last chick to hatch, or the smallest in the group, is often de-prioritized to give the others a better chance of survival,” Woodiel said.
“Nothing was done wrong, this is simply how nature works,” the City of Blue Springs said. “By sharing this journey, our goal has always been to provide an honest look at wildlife, including both the joyful and the challenging moments.”
What happens now that the bald eagle eggs hatched?
Livestream watchers can see the eaglets grow up now that they’ve hatched. You will notice that they’ll be covered in fuzzy, downy feathers.
Woodiel said that the eaglets will remain in the nest being cared for by their parents for 10-12 weeks as their pin feathers, or flight feathers, start coming in.
As it nears the end of that period, Woodiel said the eaglets may start branching out and hopping around in the tree as they get ready to fly. They also will receive less support and food from their parents as they reach the age where they need to start hunting on their own.
“Once those 10-12 weeks are up, eaglets are ready to ‘fledge,’ leaving the nest to fly on their own,” Woodiel said. “They may return to the nest occasionally after that.”
The bald eagles that leave the nest are considering juveniles until they reach ages 4-5, when their head feathers transition from dark brown to white. When they do find a mate and build their own nests, Woodiel said, it’s often near where they were raised.
MDC does not have any tags or tracking information on these eagles, Woodiel said. Department staff may hear about them based on eyewitness anecdotes, but they will not be specifically tracking this brood once they leave the nest.
“We are thrilled that so many people are watching this eagle family, and we hope that this livestream continues to spread the message about the importance of conserving and protecting Missouri wildlife,” Woodiel said. “You don’t have to go far to find it.”
Missouri has more than 600 active bald eagle nests, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The department says approximately 1,200 to 2,700 bald eagles are reported in the state each year.
You can watch the livestream from any device with YouTube capabilities.
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 12:13 PM.
