Live Cam: Watch These Nesting Red-Shouldered Hawks

STATESBORO, GA -- The first egg has hatched. So there's no time like the present to check in on a family of red-shouldered hawks in the south Georgia woods.

The Georgia Southern University Center for Wildlife Education is providing a live "HawkCam" to stream video of the hawks, who are nesting atop an 80-foot yellow pine tree at the Wildlife Center's wetland preserve.

Watch Streaming Video of the Georgia Southern Hawks Now

The first of what appear to be three eggs hatched Wednesday morning.

The hawks are not inhabitants of the university's Lamar Q. Ball, Jr. Raptor Center, which takes in birds of prey who are injured or otherwise unable to continue a normal life in the wild.

Instead, this is a couple of wild raptors who have returned to the same site to nest for several years now.

To minimize disturbance, the camera was installed, with the help of the university's information technology division, before egg-laying season began.

"This video is live and provided natural history insights into the world of the Red-shouldered Hawk," the university notes on the website. "The Wildlife Center supports and promotes the honest portrayal of nature."

Red-shouldered hawks are indigenous to forested areas throughout the eastern United States and California.

They are the most vocal of American hawks, with a piercing two-syllable scream, and feed mostly on small mammals, snakes, amphibians and even insects.

They are also monogamous, with couples like the one at Georgia Southern frequently using the same nest year after year.

The new nestlings likely won't leave the nest for 45-60 days, and will be dependent upon their parents for up to 19 weeks.

(Image via Georgia Southern University Center for Wildlife Education)