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One of Jackie and Shadow’s chicks has died. Volunteers tell fans: 'Grieve and feel whatever you feel'
Jackie and Shadow's two remaining chicks get fed in the nest Sunday morning.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
)
One of Jackie and Shadow's three chicks is now confirmed not have survived a severe winter storm that dropped more than 2 feet of snow in the area where the nest is located.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that manages the popular YouTube livestream of the nest, confirmed the news Saturday, hours after warning that the possible remains of the missing chick had been spotted.
The chick had not been seen alive since a 6 p.m. feeding on Thursday, they said. By Friday morning it was clear to the thousand of avid fans watching the live eagle cam that something was amiss.
Friends of Big Bear Valley told eagle fans:
"We understand completely how hard this is to hear. Please allow yourself to grieve and feel whatever you feel. Please honor the chick for its courage in getting as far as it did and doing whatever it came to do."
The volunteers said they did not know which chick had died because all three, which had been named Chick 1, Chick 2 and Chick 3 for birth order, were "very close in size."
On Sunday afternoon, Jackie picked up the remains of the chick from the nest and flew off with it.
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Now all eyes turn to the third egg to see if it develops a pip, the first hole an eaglet makes as it emerges from its shell. -
Jackie and Shadow's parenting ups and downs have captivated thousands. -
Scenes from a Jackie and Shadow fan party in Big Bear.
Heartbreak follows joy about the three births
This is a tough turn for the couple’s thousands of fans, especially after the last two seasons ended in an empty nest. About 100,000 people were watching live when the youngest chick was working its way into the world last week — a new record.
All three chicks were seen during Thursday’s last feeding, but only two were visible by early Friday morning. Some fans were concerned that a chick got stuck to Shadow’s foot or got caught up in one of Jackie’s overnight “wingslaps,” but Friends of Big Bear Valley confirmed that the couple didn’t remove anything from the nest large enough to be a chick during that time.
About the bald eagle livestream
Live images get from the nest high above Big Bear Lake to your eyeballs via a pair of cameras — one that provides close-ups of the nest, and another trained on the tree Jackie and Shadow roost in.
- The rig runs off a 24-volt solar system with ethernet cables for the cameras.
- The cameras move incredibly slowly — about one or two degrees per second — so as to not disturb the animals living around it.
- The one closest to the nest has been covered in a smoked dome to conceal the lens.
- A low-intensity infrared light allows viewers to see the nest at night. The light itself isn't visible to the eagles, us humans, or the nest’s recurring guest star, Fiona the flying squirrel.
- The cameras are operated by three anonymous Friends of Big Bear Valley volunteers, including one in Europe who handles the late shift.
When LAist shared an Instagram post about the missing chick later that day, it was flooded with comments like “I’m ruined,” “this is so sad” and “I can’t take a hit like this!!!”
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The good news: the other two eaglets could still be seen bobbing out of the nest bowl shortly after the news of the death was announced. Their parents cared for them during steady snowfall on Friday.
Friends of Big Bear Valley is asking fans to be kind to themselves and others in the eagle community at this time.
“We hope that seeing Jackie and Shadow’s perseverance and steadfastness brings some comfort and peace as we watch their continuing, beautiful story unfold,” the group wrote in a Facebook update. “Today we are reminded once again that this is nature, wild and unscripted.”
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The Eagle Lovebirds
Jackie and Shadow are two beloved bald eagles who live in Big Bear, a ski town a couple hours northeast of L.A. They went viral in 2024, as people tuned in to a livestream of their nest to see if their eggs would hatch. Fans around the world became deeply attached to the lovebirds, obsessing over the couple’s devotion to each other and their eggs. For Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido, the story became personal when she also began her parenthood journey.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
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