PITTSBURGH — A webcam captured images of the first of two African penguins hatching at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.

Monday's birth brings to 17 the number of endangered African penguins in the aviary's Penguin Point exhibit. A second egg is expected to hatch soon.

Scientists estimate fewer than 20,000 of the birds exist in the wild.

The public can monitor the penguins at www.penguinnestcam.org and see the parents, Sidney and Bette, sharing nesting duties. The father, Sidney, is named for Sidney Crosby, the star of the city's National Hockey League team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sidney and Bette successfully bred two previous sets of chicks, so aviary officials expect the new chicks to thrive.

People who view the nesting penguins can expect to see the parents incubating the unhatched egg and keeping the newborn — slightly larger than a golf ball — warm.

The chicks will be reared for three to four weeks by their parents in a cave that is part of the exhibit. After that, they'll be hand-reared by aviary staff.Having the staff rear the penguins “will ensure they are ready to fulfill their future roles as ambassadors for their species in the National Aviary's educational and interactive programs,” which will require the birds to be exposed to humans, the aviary said in a statement.The chicks won't be named until tests in a few weeks determine their gender.<br /><br /><br /><br />

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The first of two African penguin chicks hatched early Monday at the National Aviary from eggs laid in early November. Aviary officials said its parents will huddle over the chick to provide warmth, likely concealing it for a time from the camera, left. The chick can be seen at far left.Associated Press

Oh, babies! Pittsburgh’s National Aviary debuts penguin chicks