Bald eagle couple's third eaglet primed to hatch soon; see the video
At 9:07 a.m. on Friday, the third egg's pip site had gotten larger and there was more movement, the Friends of Big Bear Valley's live feed captured.
Southern California’s favorite celebrity bald eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow, are close to welcoming their third and final eaglet.
A live camera feed from Friends of Big Bear Valley (FBBV) captured the “Pip movement” in the third egg around 10:21 a.m., according to the nonprofit’s Facebook post on Thursday afternoon. Video of the pip, a slight crack in the eggshell that is the first sign a chick is trying to hatch, shows the incoming eaglets’ two siblings playing in the snow and seemingly cheering the hatchling on.
By 9:07 a.m. on Friday, the third egg’s pip site had gotten larger and there was movement, according to FBBV’s live feed.
“Hatching is a long process. It may take a day or more for the chick to fully emerge from the shell,” FBBV’s Facebook post said. “We are expecting sunny weather tomorrow. Just in time for the new Chick3!”
When did Jackie and Shadow’s two other eggs hatch?
Jackie and Shadow welcomed their two other eaglets on Monday before midnight and early Tuesday.
“The past few days have been full of excitement as well as joyful tears as we have witnessed our beloved pair, Jackie and Shadow, become parents once again,” FBBV said in a Facebook post on Thursday morning. “Mom and Dad have been doing a great job making sure both of their newly hatched chicks are fed well, staying warm and protected from the elements.”
Video captured by the FBBV shows Jackie and Shadow preparing for a snowstorm that eventually touched down on Thursday afternoon.
“Once again, Jackie and Shadow continued to work together and were busy preparing in advance,” the nonprofit said about the snowstorm in the Facebook post. “The chicks were fed as much as their little crops could hold, and the nest was full of soft fluff. As the snow began to fall, Shadow landed on the high perch to check on Jackie and the kids.”
The bald eagles managed to survive the storm as they prepared for the final member of their family to hatch.
“Parenthood is finally here once again for this beautiful couple and it sure suits them well,” the FBBV said in the Facebook post. “This new adventure has only just begun, so hold on for the ride eagle family. Here we go!”
What happened to Jackie’s and Shadow’s eggs last year?
Last year, the bald eagle couple missed the 35-day hatching window by a few days, according to FBBV.
Sandy Steers, FBBV’s executive director, told Paste BN in March 2024 that altitude and temperature possibly factored in the couple’s eggs failing to hatch.
“As to why the eggs have not hatched, we have no way of knowing,” Steers said. “It could be environmental, such as temperatures, humidity percentages, oxygen levels at high altitude, etc. It could be biological with something just being off at the time the eggs were created.”
Jackie and Shadow welcomed chicks in 2019 and 2022, but lost eggs in 2023 and 2024.
The couple laid their current crop of eggs on Jan. 22, Jan. 25, and Jan. 28, according to the FBBV.
Contributing: Paste BN's Anthony Robledo & Amaris Encinas