Big Bear’s Eagle Couple Jackie and Shadow Welcomes 2 Eaglets After Rocky Season
Big Bear Valley’s most-watched couple just became parents again. Bald eagle pair Jackie and Shadow welcomed two eaglets over the weekend after both eggs hatched successfully, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
What makes this hatching stand out is the season that preceded it — a stretch marked by loss, resilience and a second chance at parenthood, all documented through a live nest camera that has followed the pair for several years. Here’s what happened and what to watch for as the eaglets grow.
Two Hatchings in 12 Hours
The first eaglet hatched at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Earlier that day, the organization noted that a bird is not considered fully hatched until it is completely free from its shell.
“The chick has popped its head out of the shell to say a happy hatch day to mom and dad!” a Facebook post said.
That same post noted the second egg had begun to pip. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, a “pip” is when a chick breaks through the internal membrane, breaches the shell and takes its first breath of air. According to the organization, it can take 24 to 48 hours for a chick to fully hatch after reaching this stage.
The second eaglet hatched just before 9 a.m. on Sunday, about 12 hours after the first. Friends of Big Bear Valley confirmed both chicks appeared healthy.
What Comes Next for the Eaglets
From here, the timeline moves quickly. The group said the parents would feed the eaglets small pieces of fish or other prey. After hatching, eaglets grow quickly and can reach approximately three feet in size in just over two months.
Following the second hatching, Shadow returned to the nest. Volunteers said he appeared “quite proud and didn’t waste any time snuggling in for daddy duty.”
The eagles are monitored through a live nest camera operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley. For anyone who finds real-time wildlife observation compelling, this nest is one worth following as the eaglets grow over the coming weeks.
A Comeback After a Raven Attack
This weekend’s double hatching almost didn’t happen. Earlier this season, Jackie and Shadow laid four eggs, but two were destroyed during a raven attack.
Jackie later laid a second clutch of eggs on Feb. 24 and Feb. 27. Those were the two eggs that ultimately produced this weekend’s eaglets.
Jackie and Shadow previously raised eaglets in 2019, 2022 and 2025. Their track record and their ability to recover from the earlier setback have made each development this season feel especially significant for those who follow the nest.
A Naming Tradition That Connects Generations
The two eaglets don’t have names yet, and the process for naming them carries its own meaning.
Despite calls from the public to name one of the chicks Sandy, after late wildlife activist Sandy Steers, who helped spearhead the FOBBV nest camera, the organization said the naming process would remain the same as always with a vote by local third graders.
They said that the process was something that brought Steers great joy over her “years of tireless environmental work in the valley and her love for the eagles.”
The third graders’ vote will determine what the community calls the two eaglets in the months ahead. It’s a tradition that ties the community together across generations — from the wildlife advocate who helped make the camera possible to the schoolchildren who get to name each new member of Big Bear’s eagle family.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
