Four active eagle nests are being monitored in the Forest Preserve District of Will County in 2024. (Forest Preserve District of Will County / Chad Merda)

Sharp-eyed observers have now confirmed hatchlings in three of the four bald eagle nests being monitored on Will County forest preserve property.

A pair of fuzzy eaglet heads were spotted popping up out of one of the nests this week, officials said. Two weeks ago, monitors noticed adult eagles feeding an unseen hatchling (or hatchlings) in a different nest.

Then on Friday afternoon, at least one eaglet was visible in a third nest, according to the forest preserve district.

Forest preserve staff have been on eaglet watch since late February when the first pair of bald eagles were confirmed to be in the nest. The total number of active nests eventually climbed to four, a record for the preserves.

Egg incubation averages 35 days for eagles, and because of the massive size of eagle nests, hatchlings often aren't detected until they're a couple of weeks old. 

Bald eagles typically lay one to three eggs. In 2023, five eaglets hatched in Will County.

Officials never divulge the locations of the nests, which are federally protected. Anyone coming across a nest should maintain a distance roughly the length of a football field. 

This article originally published April 12. It has been updated with new information.

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]