Jackie and Shadow

Jackie (c. 2012) and Shadow (c. 2014) are a wild female and male bald eagle couple who reside in the San Bernardino National Forest near Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County, California. Their attempts to hatch and raise offspring have been live-streamed by Friends of Big Bear Valley since 2018.

History

Bald eagles from points farther north, such as Idaho or Canada, migrate to Big Bear Valley, but most do not stay year-round.[1] In 2012, San Bernardino National Forest rangers discovered that the valley had become nesting territory for eagles[2] and in 2015, Friends of Big Bear Valley launched a livestream to monitor wildlife in the area.[3]

Jackie, believed to be the first eaglet hatched in Big Bear Valley,[4] came to the public's attention in 2017, when she and her mate took over an abandoned nest beside Friends of Big Bear Valley's livestream camera.[5] Shadow came to the public's attention one year later, when he replaced Jackie's mate at that nest.[6] As of 2020, Jackie and Shadow were the only year-round bald eagle residents at Big Bear Lake.[1]

Jackie and Shadow's live-stream gained significant attention in 2023, when they attempted to hatch eggs despite multiple atmospheric rivers that brought 45 inches (1.1 m) of snow to the area.[4][7] Jackie and Shadow had no surviving offspring that year or the following one,[8] and by February 2024, they had laid 14+ eggs together, five of which hatched, with two or three of the eaglets surviving into adulthood.[9][10][11][12]

In 2025, the pair successfully hatched three eggs, but one eaglet died during a storm a few days later.[13] The two surviving eaglets were later named Sunny and Gizmo. The names, chosen from 54,000 submissions, were voted on by students at Big Bear Elementary School.[14] The eaglet that died was named Misty, after Kathi Misterly, a Friends of Big Bear Valley volunteer who had recently died from cancer.[15]

Protected area

Jackie and Shadow's nest is located in the San Bernardino National Forest near Fawnskin, 145 feet (44 m) above ground in a Jeffrey pine.[16] As the tree is near a parking lot, picnic area, and campsite, the Forest Service close these facilities when offspring are fledging.[17]

For more than 25 years, developers have been looking to develop a 63-acre (25 ha) stretch of Big Bear Lake's north shore lakefront known as Moon Camp, located less than 1 mile (1.6 km) from Jackie and Shadow's nest. The project has faced significant opposition from conservationists and the general public, as it would be detrimental to the bald eagles as well as several rare and endangered plant species in the area. In February 2026, the developer granted the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust an option to purchase the property for $10 million; the land would then be added to the San Bernardino National Forest.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Forgione, Mary (January 22, 2020). "How a pair of bald eagles became Southern California rock stars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  2. ^ Wigglesworth, Alex (July 24, 2019). "Watch this Big Bear bald eagle chick fly for the first time". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  3. ^ "Sandy Steers honored for wildlife work in Big Bear during California State Assembly session". ABC7 Los Angeles. March 13, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Myers, Amanda Lee (March 6, 2023). "Highs, lows and heartbreak: How a pair of California eagles developed a worldwide fanbase". USA Today.
  5. ^ Sharp, Julie (March 4, 2025). "Big Bear nest welcomes 2 baby eaglets, making Jackie and Shadow proud parents". CBS Los Angeles. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  6. ^ Terri Robertson (February 25, 2024). "This Bald Eagle Nest Cam in California's Big Bear Valley Will Melt Your Heart". Country Living.
  7. ^ "Jackie and Shadow / Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Cam". Know Your Meme. February 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Rocha, Angelaydet (January 27, 2026). "Bald Eagle Jackie lays second egg of 2026 season in Big Bear". The Desert Sun.
  9. ^ Myers, Amanda Lee (February 3, 2023). "California bald eagles care for 3 eggs as global fans root for successful hatching". USA Today.
  10. ^ "Blizzard babies? Pip watch has begun for bald eagles Jackie and Shadow as storm rolls in". Los Angeles Times. February 29, 2024.
  11. ^ Robyn White (March 7, 2023). "Bald eagles who gripped the internet finally abandon eggs that won't hatch". Newsweek.
  12. ^ Marcos, Coral Murphy (March 4, 2025). "Pair of bald eagles welcome two hatchlings in California". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  13. ^ Cohen, Rebecca; Liviakis, Audrey (March 15, 2025). "Eaglet that disappeared from nest in California 'did not make it'". NBC News.
  14. ^ Yu, Yi-Jin (April 2, 2025). "Jackie and Shadow's internet-famous eaglets get names". ABC News.
  15. ^ "Big Bear eaglets officially have names: Sunny and Gizmo". ABC 7. April 3, 2025.
  16. ^ Cruz, Rene Ray De La (March 6, 2025). "Fans in frenzy as Jackie and Shadow's third eagle egg begins to hatch in Big Bear nest". Victorville Daily Press.
  17. ^ Forgione, Mary (June 26, 2019). "Watch webcam of Big Bear's eagle chick trying to fly, but don't go near it". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  18. ^ Thomas, Moná (February 23, 2026). "Animal Lovers Race to Protect Bald Eagle Couple's Nesting Grounds from Nearby Development as $10M Deadline Nears". People.
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