Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow welcome 2 eaglets into the world
BIG BEAR, Calif. (KABC) -- Two eggs belonging to famous Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow have finally hatched.
One of the eaglets popped out of its shell late Monday night, and the moment was captured live during the 11 p.m. newscast of Eyewitness News thanks to a livestream provided by the Friends of Big Bear Valley.
According to a timestamp on the livestream, the baby eagle could be seen hatching around 11:25 p.m. Moments later, the eaglet began moving around the nest.
The second chick hatched some time in the overnight hours.
Video from the nest Tuesday morning showed one of the proud parents trying to feed the new chicks.
A third egg in the nest hasn't showed signs of hatching. However, it's only 34 days old and younger than the other two, so another chick may debut a little later.
"It could be a few days. We'll just have to watch and see what happens," said Sandy Steers, the executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit that runs the eagles' webcam.
We'll have to hold off on a viral gender reveal because that will take days to determine using sizing and voice pitch.
Jackie and Shadow will take turns watching and feeding the baby birds who won't be able to leave the massive nest for about 10 to 14 weeks.
"Their relationship is adorable. It's funny to watch them. They both want to be the one on the eggs. They both want to be the one giving the best care," Steers said.
The baby birds are unnamed, but suggestions will come from the public. The tough decision-makers will be local Big Bear third-graders.
"We have them vote and be able to pick the names, because during the third grade up here, they're studying bald eagles, so they seem the most appropriate to be able to pick the names," Steers said.
In 2022, Jackie and Shadow successfully hatched an eaglet, later named Spirit via a contest held by Friends of Big Bear Valley.
