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Does LA now have its very own Jackie and Shadow? A bald eagle couple spotted nesting here
A bald eagle couple has been spotted in Los Angeles County this past week.
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Courtesy L.A. County Dept. of Parks and Recreation
)
A pair of nesting bald eagles was spotted in Los Angeles County this past week, according to a social media post from the Department of Parks and Recreation. (You can check out the full post and video on Instagram.)
The Department of Parks and Recreation did not disclose the exact location of the birds.
Nesting bald eagles are a fairly rare sight in Southern California, since they're more commonly found close to the California-Oregon border.
A look at where bald eagles typically nest.
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Courtesy California Department of Fish and Wildlife
)
Of course, there are notable exceptions, including Southern California's most famous bald eagles: Big Bear's Jackie and Shadow, whose yearly attempts at parenthood have become big national news on occasion.
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Jackie and Shadow's two eggs each showed signs of a pip — or first crack — back-to-back on Friday and Saturday. -
San Bernardino flying squirrels nicknamed Fiona and Fast Freddie have made regular cameos on Jackie and Shadow's nest cam feed. A spinoff, anyone? -
Friends of the Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that operates the livestream, started noticing fake Jackie and Shadow social media accounts a few years ago. With this year's hatchings, the charlatans have exploded. Sadly, legal recourse is limited.
Typically, bald eagles' mating season is from January through July or August, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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What to do if you're lucky enough to see them IRL
Park officials are reminding everyone that bald eagles are a federally protected species and disturbing their nests could “disrupt breeding and impact their success.”
The history
Bald eagles were once close to extinction in the lower 48 U.S. states. By the early 1970s, there were fewer than 30 pairs in California, all in the northern part of the state. The species has rebounded since being protected under federal and state laws.
What's next
It takes about 35 days for bald eagle eggs to incubate. If the L.A.'s new eagle residents lay eggs, Los Angeles could have our very own eaglets as early as next month.
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