The best show on television right now is actually a live stream of two famous California bald eagles – Jackie and Shadow.
All eyes have been on this nature cam in Big Bear Lake, California as of late. A camera was set up to monitor a bald eagle nest in the area, and two well-known birds named Jackie and Shadow have been utilizing this particular nest since at least January of last year. It was then when the bald eagle couple first went viral after the mother, Jackie, was caught on camera toughing out an extreme winter storm.
Check it out:
That right there is a dedicated mother.
And that moment also helped launch Jackie and Shadow into social media stardom. Ever since then, the bald eagle couple has had a massive following online. The internet has a view of the nest the bald eagle mates call home, and have been able to witness much of their lives for over a year.
In case you were wondering, bald eagles need a sizable nest to call home, and they typically build their nests in an area with a good view of the surrounding landscape, usually in large trees, cliff sides, or other high-elevated rock formations.The predatory birds are quite large, measuring up to 40 inches tall and weighing up to 12 pounds… so it makes sense that a large nest is needed.
And Jackie and Shadow have been utilizing their beautiful nest with a view of Big Bear Lake quite a lot. After successfully hatching a couple of eaglets last year, the baldie breeding couple are back to their egg-warming ways in 2026. Jackie and Shadow have two eggs that were laid around the end of February that they’ve been trying to keep safe and warm for over a month.
That’s been easier said than done.
The famous bald eagles had another viral moment when their home that sits high up in a tree that’s located in Big Bear Valley got smacked by winds whipping at over 60 miles per hour. In the video below from March 7, Shadow (the father) can be seen desperately hanging on to their sturdily built nest as winds gusted at 63 miles per hour:
Needless to say, it always seems to be an interesting nesting season for Jackie and Shadow.
The good news? All of their hard work to keep their eggs safe is starting to pay off. The live camera has confirmed that the famous, bald eagle parents are welcoming in their eaglets to the world. Well… at least one of them has been described as a “pip,” where the eaglet breaks through the internal membrane of the egg. It’s a great sign, and indicates that the hatching process – which can take 24 to 48 hours – has begun.
The social media account “National Park News” shared a video of the visible “pip” on the live stream, and also added in another clip where some other bald eagle parents (not Jackie and Shadow) have welcomed three eaglets of their own:
“It’s happening, everyone! There’s a confirmed pip at Jackie and Shadow’s nest! That means a chick in one of their two eggs has broken through the internal membrane of the egg and taken its first breath.”
Looks like I’ll be glued to the Big Bear Bald Eagle live stream for the rest of the day.
If you want to get a live look at Jackie and Shadow, and root on both of their eggs to fully hatch, you can click on the video link below:
