The past two mating seasons ended in heartbreak for Jackie and Shadow, Big Bear’s beloved bald eagle couple.
Thousands of fans who eagerly follow the bird’s antics via webcam were devastated when the lovebirds’ eggs were eaten by ravens in 2023. Earlier this year, fans were crushed when all three of their eggs failed to hatch — even after Jackie had spent 62 hours bravely guarding them through a ferocious snowstorm.
The couple were spotted mating for the first time this season on Sunday, renewing hopes that the pair will successfully raise an eaglet (or two) in the new year.
“I’ve been watching long enough to know that things will happen and we just have to accept what nature brings,” said Sandy Steers, biologist and longtime executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley. “But I’m optimistic and excitedly anticipate whatever adventure we get to go on this year.”
Friends of Big Bear Valley has run bald eagle webcams since 2015. Several feathered characters have come and gone, but Jackie and Shadow, who paired up in 2018, are by far the most popular. Webcam viewership hit an all-time high last March, when around 32,000 people tuned in at once in hopes of watching Jackie’s eggs hatch, Steers said.
Fans are captivated by the big birds’ big personalities and humorous relationship dynamic.
“Jackie is very strong and independent and wants her way with everything,” Steers said. Shadow will often let Jackie get her way, but also has a mischievous steak and will not hesitate to pull her tail feathers when she’s not looking.
Fortunately, Jackie is charmed by Shadow’s cheekiness, and his teasing often leads to “beaky kissing sessions,” she said.
Bald eagles are one of the rare creatures that mate for life, only finding a new partner if their previous one dies.
The iconic American bird was almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT, which poisoned the eagles and made their eggs weak and flimsy. In the early 1970s there were fewer than 30 nesting pairs in the entire state of California, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Their population rebounded from the brink of extinction thanks to the banning of DDT in 1972 and successful campaigns to protect their habitat and encourage their reproduction. Now, on some days, more than 1,000 bald eagles have been counted in the California, according to Fish and Wildlife.
Still they remain an endangered species in the state, meaning there is more at stake than fans’ feelings when it comes to Jackie and Shadow’s breeding efforts.
Sadly, the odds are not tilted in their favor.
Bald eagle eggs typically have a 50-50 chance of hatching, Steers said. Once hatched, fewer than 50% of eaglets survive their first year, according to the American Eagle Foundation.
In Big Bear Valley, Jackie and Shadow face additional environment challenges.
Their nest, which is perched 145 feet above the ground in a Jeffrey pine tree, is the highest bald eagle nest observed by a webcam in the country, Steers said. The community of Big Bear Lake itself sits almost 7,000 feet above sea level.
Low oxygen levels at high altitude is one of the reasons Friends of Big Bear Valley suspects Jackie’s three eggs failed to hatch last year. Cold snowy winters and rainy springs also dim young eaglets’ chances of survival.
Jackie previously lost two 6-week-old chicks to cold after a rainstorm. The eaglets were too old to fit under her feathers, but too young to fully develop their own waterproof ones, according to Steer.
In 2022, the couple were successful in producing a single eaglet named Spirit, who was considered by many to be a small miracle.
And despite previous failures, the lovebirds continue to renew their bonds and efforts to produce chicks this year.
In the past few weeks, Shadow has been busy bringing sticks to the nest to woo Jackie and build up their home, said Steers. On Friday, Jackie brought a fish up to the nest — a sign she is preparing to hunker down and lay eggs.
Steers hopes the couple will produce eaglets this season, but regardless of what unfolds, she is happy so many people care.
“Our whole goal was to be able to let people see into the daily lives of nature, so that they could really appreciate what happens and fall in love with nature,” she said. “And it’s been beautiful to watch — I have people who will say things like, ‘I never knew nature had it so hard,’ or, ‘Wow, it’s so amazing to see what these birds are doing.’”
