Big Bear bald eaglets hatch as Jackie and Shadow's family grows by 2
Big Bear bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow are parents once again after both of their eggs hatched over the weekend, welcoming their newest family members.
The first eaglet hatched from its egg at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley. Earlier in the day, they advised fans that a bird is not considered hatched until it is completely free from its eggshell.
"The chick has popped its head out of the shell to say a happy hatch day to mom and dad!" a Facebook post said, noting that the second egg belonging to the couple also appeared to have a pip.
Video from after the first egg's pipping on Friday allowed a chance to hear the small chirps from the newest eaglet.
FOBBV members said it can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours for a chick to fully hatch after the initial pip. After that, the birds grow rather quickly, reaching three feet in just over two months.
A "pip" is the moment that the chick can break through the internal membrane, breach the eggshell and take its first breath of air, according to FOBBV.
The second eaglet hatched just before 9 a.m. Sunday, about 12 hours after its sibling. FOBBV confirmed the hatching of the eaglet on Sunday morning. They said that the parents would keep the chicks fed with small pieces of fish or other prey.
On the live stream, one of the eagle parents covered its eaglets back up for warmth at about 9 a.m. after the new duo saw the sunshine for the first time in their lives.
FOBBV volunteers said that Shadow arrived back to the nest shortly after the second eaglet's hatching and that he seemed "quite proud and didn't waste any time snuggling in for daddy duty."
They said that both of the chicks appeared to be healthy.
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, they said that 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."
Jackie and Shadow, who have been in the spotlight for years after FOBBV set up a nest camera offering a full-time look at the lives of the bald eagles, have parented eaglets in 2019, 2022 and 2025, when Sunny and Gizmo were born. The couple had four eggs this season, but two were destroyed when their nest was raided by ravens. Weeks later, Jackie laid her second clutch of eggs on Feb. 24 and Feb. 27, respectively.
