After reporting earlier this year on the clutch of eggs hatched by the internet-famous eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow recently welcomed two new baby eaglets.
Jackie and Shadow Welcome New Eaglets
Jackie and Shadow first got together in 2018 and successfully raised chicks in 2019 and 2022. In 2023 and 2024, however, their eggs failed to hatch. They also hatched three eaglets in 2025, but one didn’t survive a harsh snowstorm. The two remaining chicks were named Sunny and Gizmo after 54,000 names were submitted by fans.
From their latest clutch, Chick 1 hatched on April 4 at 9:33 PM PDT, while Chick 2 followed on April 5 at 8:30 AM. Their large nest in Big Bear Valley, east of Los Angeles, is livestreamed 24 hours a day by nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) and has captivated millions.
According to FOBBV, Jackie and Shadow have alternated sitting with the chicks and hunting for fish in Big Bear Lake. During a rainstorm, for example. Jackie kept the chicks warm until the weather cleared up.
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The siblings have been seen pushing and pecking each other during feeding time, a common behavior among eaglets called bonking. This behavior is meant to establish the dominant chick or “pecking order” which indicates which chick will get to eat first. The smaller or less dominant chick will then either walk around the nest searching for scraps or wait until the bigger chick gets tired after eating and naps.
Though the sex of the babies has yet to be determined, the FOBBV team may try to guess the sex when the eaglets reach 10 weeks old based on their vocal pitch, size, and other visual characteristics.
A naming contest will be held when it comes to naming the chicks, as they’ve done with Jackie and Shadow’s other babies, but the details and date haven’t been announced. The name is expected to be chosen by the third, fourth, and fifth grade students at an elementary school near the San Bernardino Valley.
The FOBBV YouTube page will continue to provide updates on the eaglets’ progress.
