Bald Eagles lay from one to three eggs, one or two days apart for multiple eggs. The eggs all hatch after appropriate incubation time. So, the first chick to hatch gets a headstart on siblings. That day or two can make a big difference. The first chick will be larger and stronger. It will hog the food the parent eagles bring to the nest. The second chick often survives. A third chick, days behind, rarely survives. It will weaken and die or be killed by the other chick(s), which might then eat it. Parent eagles do not interfere. Life out of the nest once the chicks fledge gets no easier. Mortality in the first year is said to be 50 percent.
The DNR has a disclaimer on the eagle-cam web site explaining that this is real nature, not Disney. Be prepared for what you might see.
