Jackie and Shadow have first " pip" of the season in Big Bear nest
Bald eagle parents Jackie and Shadow have had their first pip of the season, which is a hopeful sign after the pair lost two eggs earlier this year.
On Friday morning, the Friends of Big Bear Valley Instagram account posted that little chirps could be heard from the chick, indicating that it had broken the internal membrane and taken its first breath of air.
The video shows a bit of the eggshell popping out. FBBV said it can take 24 to 48 hours after the initial pip for a chick to fully hatch.
Jackie and Shadow lost a pair of eggs earlier in the year after their nest was raided by ravens. In February, Jackie laid her third egg of the season and a few days later, laid a fourth.
FBBV says it typically takes 10-14 weeks for eaglets to grow about 3 feet tall.
The Friends of Big Bear Valley is a nonprofit group that operates the area's eagle cameras. Wildlife activist Sandy Steers helped launch the organization's livestream cams, which provided a look into the daily life of the area's bald eagles in 2015. Steers died earlier this year, but the organization has vowed to keep its mission of protecting Big Bear's wildlife and their habitat.
Jackie and Shadow welcomed eaglets in 2019, 2022 and 2025.