Thousands of people around the world are once again following the lives of bald eagles Jackie and Shadow through a live nest camera in California’s Big Bear Valley. This year, the attention is on the couple’s two young eaglets, which hatched over the Easter weekend and are now growing quickly under the care of their parents.The heartwarming scenes inside the nest have attracted viewers from across the world. The camera gives people a close look at the birds’ daily life, from feeding and caring for the chicks to watching them grow stronger each day. But while the nest appears calm, conservationists say a bigger challenge lies beyond it.Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), the nonprofit that operates the live camera, hopes the growing interest in Jackie and Shadow will also draw attention to a major conservation effort. The organisation is trying to raise $10 million to protect the forest habitat surrounding the famous nest before it can be developed.The live camera has been operating since 2015 and has allowed people to watch the bald eagles through every stage of nesting, including egg laying, incubation and the hatching of chicks. Over the years, Jackie and Shadow have become well known among wildlife enthusiasts, with many viewers checking the livestream every day during nesting season.
July deadline
Earlier this year, Jackie and Shadow lost two hatchlings after they were attacked by ravens, Newsweek reported. The loss saddened many viewers who had followed the nest closely.The pair got another chance when Jackie laid two more eggs at the end of February. Both eggs successfully hatched over the Easter weekend, bringing fresh hope for the eagle family and excitement for those watching online.At the same time, conservationists are working to protect the area around the nest.Friends of Big Bear Valley has partnered with the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust to buy a nearby area known as Moon Camp. According to KESQ, the organisations have until July 31 to complete the purchase. If the deal does not go through, a developer plans to build housing and marina slips across the 63-acre site.Protecting habitat is important because wildlife depends on much more than a single nest. Bald eagles need large natural areas around their nesting sites where they can hunt, rest and safely raise their young. Changes to nearby forests or lakes can affect their breeding and survival even if the nest itself remains untouched.FOBBV hopes the popularity of Jackie and Shadow’s livestream will encourage more people to support the fundraising campaign and help protect the surrounding landscape.
The live camera has been operating since 2015 and has allowed people to watch the bald eagles.
Growing every day
The eaglets are still very young and remain much smaller than their parents. They are only about 4 to 5 inches tall. By comparison, Jackie and Shadow’s talons alone measure around 1 to 2 inches.The parents carefully feed the chicks by tearing food into very small pieces with their beaks before offering it to them. According to the description of an April 7 video shared by Friends of Big Bear Valley, the eaglets were fed 17 times during the day.“Eaglets have 10-14 weeks to grow up and figure out how to fly out of the nest, so we don’t have too much time with them,” Jenny Voisard, from Friends of Big Bear Valley, told Newsweek. “They will change everyday,” she added.Like many young birds of prey, the chicks sometimes peck at one another. Some viewers have found the behaviour difficult to watch, but the organisation says it is completely normal.Known by viewers as ‘bonking’, the behaviour helps the chicks establish a temporary pecking order, which means the eaglets are deciding which one gets fed first. Conservationists say this is a natural part of their development and helps build survival instincts. “Jackie and Shadow are amazing parents and will keep them fed and safe,” Voisard said.Over the coming weeks, the eaglets will continue to grow rapidly before eventually learning to fly and leaving the nest.
How it started
The story of Jackie and Shadow is linked to the history of bald eagles in Big Bear Valley. More than 30 years ago, the US Forest Service began counting bald eagles visiting the valley during winter. At that time, officials usually recorded between 25 and 30 birds each season.According to Friends of Big Bear Valley, those numbers have fallen in recent years, with only six to eight bald eagles typically visiting the valley during winter.An important change came around 2009, when a young tagged bald eagle from Catalina Island stayed in Big Bear Valley throughout the summer instead of leaving after winter. Conservationists saw this as an early sign that bald eagles were beginning to return as year-round residents.That change became even more significant during the 2011-2012 nesting season, when the first documented bald eagle chick hatched in the valley.That chick was Jackie. As she grew older, Jackie eventually paired with Shadow, and together they built the nest that has become one of the world’s best-known wildlife livestreams.