The history of Jackie, Shadow and Big Bear Lake’s Bald Eagles.

As the webcam watches, eyes across the world are drawn to the bald eagle nest at Big Bear Lake. Thanks to the Friends of Big Bear Valley, we get to enjoy the nesting season of these eagles firsthand through the live nest cam available 24/7. A unique insight into the natural world, the history of the Big Bear Bald Eagles is one of trial and triumph. Continue reading for a timeline of Big Bear’s Bald Eagles, Eagle FAQs, exclusive interviews with Big Bear’s Bald Eagle Specialist, and captivating photos from the Live Eagle Cam.

Spirit, the eaglet, enjoys their first meal

A Brief History of Big Bear Lake’s Bald Eagles

  • 2023
    • At 3:58pm pdt on January 11th, Jackie laid her first egg of the 2023 season!
  • 2022
    • At 5:49am pdt on May 31st, Spirit did an early morning stretch, flapped her wings, and then fledged (left the nest). Watch the magical moment from both camera angles. Spirit may return to the nest today, or in a few days. Until then, we continue to celebrate an empty nest and this milestone for Big Bear’s Bald Eagles.
    • Any day now…Spirit will fledge! As of May 22nd, Spirit has been spending more time on the “front porch” of the nest flapping her wings and preparing for her first flight.
    • Sandy Steers gives Chirp’s first Nature Talk in Chirp’s backyard about the progress of Jackie, Shadow, and Spirit. Watch the live recording of the talk given May 14, 2022.
    • Based upon observations and tests, the Friends of Big Bear Valley announced that Spirit is a girl on May 8th.
    • As of May 2nd, Spirit is now 60 days old and continues to become more independent. They sleep alone, can hold prey with their talons to feed themselves, and perch on the edge of the nest to gain coordination. Mid May or June, Spirit is anticipated to take their first flight.
    • 6 weeks old on April 15th, Spirit weighs 7-9 pounds and is beginning to flap their wings and jump around the nest. Spirit is still growing flight, contour, and tail feathers and will be almost completely feathered by 8 weeks. Eagles are anticipated to fledge between 10-14 weeks old.
    • On April 6th, the chick’s official name is announced. After 2641 entries and a total of 9963 names were submitted into the Eaglet Naming Contest, the local 3rd graders in Big Bear Lake decided Jackie and Shadow’s chick will be called Spirit.
4 weeks
6 weeks
Spirit’s feathers continue to come in
  • At 17 days old, the eaglet weighs 2 pounds and will continue to grow rapidly.
  • Sandy Steers is featured in a CBSnews interview about the chick on March 13th.
  • March 9th the Eaglet Naming Contest begins. 35 names will be selected from all entries and the local 3rd graders will decide the eaglet’s final name.
  • March 2nd at 3:47pm a pip is spotted and on March 3rd at 4:14pm, the chick fully emerges from the shell.
Jackie and Shadow patiently wait for their chicks to hatch

2022

  • January 1st marks the beginning of egg watch 2022, which means Jackie could lay an egg any day! The egg laying season goes from January to March. Join the egg watch.
    • On January 22nd, Jackie lays her first egg of the 2022 season!
    • On January 25th, Jackie & Shadow welcome their second egg at 3:39PM PDT.
    • Throughout February, Jackie & Shadow take turns incubating the eggs
    • February 26th – pip watch begins! However, Friends of Big Bear explains, “With delayed incubation a pip would be more likely around March 1st or 2nd.” A pip, the first hole or crack in the egg, indicates hatching has begun.
Friends of Big Bear Valley Install A Wide View Cam In 2021
  • 2021
    • Jackie lays 3 eggs in January. Two are eaten by ravens and one egg breaks during the laying process.
    • In February, Jackie has a second clutch of 2 eggs.
    • A pip is spotted on March 18th, and the chick is heard chirping from inside the egg.
    • The eaglet stops moving and is sadly reported to have passed on March 19th.
    • Jackie and Shadow continue to care for the remaining egg, waiting for it to hatch.
    • As of March 24th, the remaining egg is 40 days old. The Friends of Big Bear Valley post, “Though we are still in the window of possibility for hatching, with each passing day it is less likely. We will continue to observe, but sadly we believe by Friday that window will close.”
    • Friday, March 26th is the final day of the hatching window, but no pip is seen.
    • Saturday, March 27th, the Friends of Big Bear Valley writes, “…the 2nd egg has not shown any signs of hatching…There is no way for us to know why this is the situation. Jackie and Shadow have taken the best care ever of that egg and will likely continue doing that for several days or maybe a few weeks.”
    • Although long past the possibility of hatching, Jackie and Shadow continue to care for the egg, and each other. As April begins, they remain dedicated parents often playfully fighting each other for nest duty.
    • Jackie eventually stops incubating the egg by April 7th. However, the egg is still incubated by Shadow and an unexpected visitor.
    • On April 17th, a Raven breaks open the egg, and later removes the eggshell from the nest.
    • Throughout summer, the eagles will slowly rebuild the nest in preparation for the October breeding season.
    • September 16th, Eagle enthusiasts can now view Jakie and Shadow on the Eagle Live Nest Cam and a NEW Wide View Cam.
    • On October 15th, Shadow brings the first stick of the season and the nest building officially begins.
    • During December, they continue to build the nest, bond, and prepare for nesting season.
Big Bear Bald Eagle Specialist Gives Updates On The 2021 Nesting Season In An Interview With Chirp
  • 2020
    • Jackie lays the first 2 eggs of the season (and year!) on January 8 and 11.
    • After 68 days of sitting on the eggs, (30 days longer than normal), the eggs never hatch.
    • Jackie and Shadow do not have a second clutch.
    • Big Bear bald eagle specialist shares eagle cam photos and history of the Big Bear Bald Eagles during Chirp’s Virtual Bird Talk event.
Snow covered nest of a bald eagle in big bear lake
Jackie is a dedicated mother, keeping her eggs warm even during a winter storm.
  • 2019
    • The last eagle count was on March 9th, resulting in an average of 13 eagles in the area.
    • Jackie lays 2 eggs in early March. “Now, for the next 35 or so days, we will see the parents share incubation duties,” service biologist Robin Eliason said. “This regulates the temperature of the egg so the embryo can develop. If all goes well, we should see a hatchling in around April 10.” – The Sun
    • Two male chicks, named Simba and Cookie, hatch 1 day apart in April.
    • The eaglets reveive bands, are weighed and measured on May 24. Simba has a purple leg tag #ZR1, Cookie #ZJ1.
    • Late Spring snowstorms take their toll, with Cookie succumbing to hypothermia on May 27. The survival rate for bald eagles is 50% in the first year.
    • Surviving eaglet Simba remains strong, testing out his wings, and is expected to leave the nest in early July.
    • Slow to leave home, Simba eventually fledges and leaves the nest on July 23.
  • 2018
    • Jackie laid 2 eggs. Local 3rd Graders named the hatchlings Stormy and Big Bear Baby (BBB). BBB does not survive a Spring storm, but Stormy does. Stormy goes on to worldwide fame and is banded when 8 weeks old.
    • In Fall, a male bald eagle, Shadow and Mr. B (Jackies mate) have a show down. Mr. B leaves.
    • Jackie accepts Shadow as her new mate, and they begin to rebuild the nest together.
  • 2017
    • Jackie and Mr. B mated (visible on the nest cam) but did not lay eggs.
  • 2016
    • Ricky and Lucy left the area.
    • A sub-adult female returned to Big Bear Lake. Since she was approximately the same age as the first hatchling, Friends of Big Bear Valley have referred to her as Jackie.
  • 2015
    • Ricky and Lucy raised a new chick in a new nest as the original one blew down. This chick is known as Shadow.
    • The camera was installed on the eagle nest in October. Unbeknownst to Big Bear, Ricky and Lucy moved to another nest that was more sheltered 50 feet away. The nest with the camera sat unused.
  • 2012
    • Eagles Ricky and Lucy hatched an eaglet. This is the first hatching in Big Bear Valley in recorded history.
    • The eaglet is named Jack, which eventually was changed to Jackie when it is discovered that the baby eagle was a female. Once Jackie fledged, she wasn’t tagged and her whereabouts were unknown.

Click above to watch the live feed from the bald eagle nest in Big Bear Lake, California.

Big Bear Lake Bald Eagles FAQ’s

  • What are the eagles’ names?
    • The adult female currently visible via the Big Bear Live Nest Cam is Jackie and the male mate is Shadow.
  • Where is the eagles’ nest located in Big Bear Lake?
    • The eagles we have been watching on the bald eagle nest cam are located in the San Bernardino National Forest on the north side of the Lake near Fawnskin. (The area is closed to humans during the breeding season.)
  • How high up is the nest?
    • It’s 120 feet off the ground in a 150 foot tall Jeffrey pine.
  • How did the nest cam get installed?
    • Local non-profit, Friends of Big Bear Valley, funded and collaborated with Dr. Peter Sharpe of the Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS) to set the camera up in the nest. It took nearly 3 years to complete the project. The nest cam was installed in October 2015 by Jim Campbell-Spickler, Dr. Peter Sharpe and colleagues from IWS.
  • Who is Stormy?
    • Stormy is a bald eagle that, when a baby in 2018, took Big Bear Lake by storm when he survived a storm that unfortunately killed his sibling. Local 3rd graders gave him his name and he became a YouTube sensation thanks to the nest cam.
  • How many eagles are there in the area?
    • Numbers vary from year to year, but their recent counts put 13 eagles in and around the San Bernardino National Forest, with 6 around Big Bear Lake.
Jackie and Shadow – 2019 to Present
  • Do bald eagles mate for life?
    • Yes, they tend to pair up for life. The male and the female bald eagles take turns incubating the eggs, and they both feed their young. Despite this common behavior, Jackie took two different male mates in 2018 and 2019.
  • How long do eagles live?
    • Eagles live roughly 20-25 years and can live as long as 38 years.
  • What is the bald eagle’s wingspan?
    • It ranges from 6 to 7.5 feet.
  • Do male and female bald eagles look different?
    • Not very. A primary distinction between the two is that females are larger than males.
  • Can eagles swim?
    • Bald eagles can’t swim but catch fish by skimming the surface of the water.
  • Are bald eagles really bald?
    • No. The origin of thier name comes from the old English word “balde” which originally meant white.
  • How many eggs do Eagles have per clutch?
    • 1 – 3 eggs.
  • Do bald eagles only have one brood each year?
    • Most of the time, but if the eggs from the first clutch don’t hatch, the pair will have a 2nd replacement brood.
  • How long do Bald Eagles Incubate their eggs?
    • An average of 35 days.
  • How old are the eagles when they fledge?
    • 10 – 12 weeks old. Once the chick fledges (leaves the nest), the adult will follow the chick to teach it how to hunt. Once the chick is independent and the new nesting season starts, the chick will leave the area.
  • How do you know an eagle is about to lay an egg?
    • For Jackie, her feathers will puff up, she may start rocking side to side, and she will make little squeeking sounds like a tea kettle.
Big Bear Lake's Bald Eagles, Jackie and Shadow perched on a snag
Jackie and Shadow Perched On A Snag

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