Owl Eggs Are Hatching in Savannah!

The first Great Horned Owl chick hatched last night! Here’s a glimpse of it, all fluffy and dry under mom this morning.The second chick should hatch soon!

It has been 33 days since the first egg was laid in Savannah, Georgia, and early this morning viewers were greeted with the sight of a downy white owlet nestled against the second pipped egg. These last few weeks of incubation have given us stunning closeups of the female’s nictitating membranes (think “goggles for owls”) and extreme gentleness around the eggs. But now, the real work of raising the owlets begins, and you’ve got the chance to watch the second owlet hatch live.

The mother owl will begin feeding the nestlings food gathered from the surrounding forests and salt marsh. Much of this food will be brought to the nest by her mate or exchanged with the female off camera. Last year’s first meal of Clapper Rail took everyone by surprise, and the owls proved very opportunistic in their prey gathering throughout the season. The young owlets will only stick around the nest for 6-7 weeks before branching out into the surrounding world—don’t miss a minute of the action! Watch the cam, hosted by Skidaway Audubon.