The Big Bear Valley officially has two new feathered residents.
Two eaglets hatched this week to famed bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow.
Tens of thousands continue to anxiously watch a 24/7 live stream of the eagles and their nest, operated by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), since Jackie laid three eggs last month. Excitement grew over the live stream’s chat when pipping – or cracks – were spotted on the eggs earlier this week, meaning the eaglets were trying to hatch.
Then, within hours of one another, two eaglets emerged from their shells.
“It’s so thrilling,” says Sandy Steers, executive director of FOBBV. “I actually feel happy in my heart for them because they look so excited when they look at them. It’s all very exciting.”
The hatchings come after the couple experienced disappointment the last two years — which included a brutal 2024 Big Bear winter — when their eggs never hatched.
“It’s actually heartbreaking to watch their reaction because you can tell how disappointed they are, and it takes them a while to give up on not sitting on the eggs,” Steer says.
The days ahead will also be challenging, she explains. Less than half of eaglets survive their first year, according to the American Eagle Foundation.
“Weather is a big issue,” Steers explains. “At about 6 weeks old, [the eaglets] get too big to fit under the parents but don’t quite have their waterproof feathers yet. … Also, they tend to compete with each other to try and get food. So there’s lots of things going on that they have to deal with right away.”
In the near future, Steers says FOBBV will run a naming contest and accept suggestions from fans from across the country. The nonprofit will randomly draw 30 names and leave it up to third graders at Big Bear Lake Elementary School to pick the winners from those selections.
In the meantime, Jackie and Shadow are settling into their role as new parents while the eaglets grow. “[The eaglets] are in the process of drying out and getting their strength to be able to sit up before the parents start feeding them,” Steers says.