2nd Young Bald Eagle Successfully Flies For 1st Time At Duke Farms

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The second of the two bald eaglets at Duke Farms in Hillsborough has officially taken its first flight.

"It appears the second younger chick (H44) successfully fledged on May 27 at 8:09 a.m. He’s now flying to and from the nest with his brother and will eat prey the parents drop in the nest," said Charles Barreca with Duke Farms to Patch.

The older of the two chicks, called "H45" based on its band number, fledged at 7:10 a.m. on May 22, said Barreca.

Two eggs were laid in 2024 at the nature preserve at 1112 Dukes Pkwy W in Hillsborough. The first bald eagle egg of 2024 was laid at 3:48 p.m. Jan. 22, and the second egg arrived at 3:36 p.m. Jan. 25.

The first chick hatched around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 29. The second chick hatched around 7:30 p.m. on March 1.

Duke Farms has a live 24-hour eagle cam set up about the nest to allow bird enthusiasts to catch a glimpse of the eagle family at dukefarms.org/eaglecam.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.