2 Bald Eaglets Born On Channel Islands; Third On The Way

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Two bald eaglets were born this week on Santa Cruz Island, and a third is expected to hatch Thursday or Friday.

The two baby bald eagles were born in a nest about 14 hours apart, the Channel Islands National Park reports.

There are an estimated 50 to 60 bald eagles who live on the islands, of which at least 45 are adults, the national park reports. An adult bald eagle is older than 5 years of age. There are also currently 13 bald eagle nests and 22 known eggs on the islands.

There are eight Channel Islands off the coast of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. They include Santa Catalina, San Clemente and Santa Rosa islands.

Five live bald eagle webcams on the Channel Islands are available at the Institute for Wildlife Studies page.

Since disappearing in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT and "human persecution," bald eagle populations have been steadily growing on the Channel Islands thanks to recovery efforts, according to the national park.

Over the weekend, meanwhile, 15 bald eagles were spotted during an organized count around six lakes in the San Bernardino National Forest area. Ten adults, three juveniles and two chicks were spotted by the more than 150 volunteers.

In February, two bald eagle eggs laid near Big Bear Lake hatched, which was captured in a live feed.