D.C.'s beloved eaglets at the National Arboretum will soon spread their wings and fly.
It seems as though Freedom and Liberty were just born, but the American Eagle Foundation said it's already almost time for them to say goodbye to their parents, Mr. President and The First Lady.
“Two and a half months ago, the world watched the DC Eagle Cam with awe and wonder as grey, fuzzy eaglets emerged from their eggshells. Now, these eaglets have turned into juvenile, or immature, eagles,” AEF President Al Cecere said. “They are about the same size as their parents, are covered in brown flight feathers, and are tearing and eating food completely on their own.”
Young eagles may leave the nest anywhere between 11 to 13 weeks of age and AEF said there may not be much time left to watch the not-so-little eagles.
Based on their sizes, AEF believes Freedom is a female and Liberty is a male.
The eagle parents still bring food to the nest and, so far, the eagle family has enjoyed about 14 species of fish from the nearby Anacostia River, AEF said.
“Once these juvenile eagles make their first flights, they’ll possibly stick around the area for a few days or even weeks, returning to the nest for a free meal now and then while still learning how to successfully hunt on their own,” Cecere said.
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AEF said the DC Eagle Cam has had more than 50 million views from people in more than 100 countries since the camera launched in February.
