The famous bald-eagle nest cam has returned and the hatching process has begun.
Update: March 4, 4: the first egg hatched at 11:26 pm PST on March 3. The second egg hatched at 4:29 am PST on March 4.
Update: Pip was spotted on March 3. A resilient pair of American bald Eagles, famous on the internet, is back at it. Jackie and Shadow incubate three eggs in their nest, which overlooks Big Bear Lake. The nest is located in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. According to the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley on January 29, Jackie puffed her feathers and bore down before releasing the third egg of this year’s clutch. She waited to deliver all of her eggs before incubating, so the team expects that hatching could begin in 38 to 40 days due to this delayed incubation.
The eggs could begin to break out from their eggs-or pip-around March 1. The Friends of Big Bear Valley maintain eagle-nest cameras on YouTube that allow bird enthusiasts to “pip” watch. Jackie and Shadow viewers can read the daily recaps to learn more about this process. Sandy Steers, Executive Director of Friends of Big Bear Valley told the Los Angeles Times that she was “very excited and surprised.” “Last year, it happened for the first time, and it’s so rare to have her lay three eggs again.”
Long-time viewers are aware of the emotional roller coaster that watching the eagles’ attempts to raise a family can be. The pair first met in 2018, and raised chicks successfully in 2019 and in 2022. Their eggs did not hatch in 2023 or 2024.
“It could have been that we didn’t have the right temperatures during the incubation and when the eggs were laid. It could be oxygen. Steers, after the eggs of last year failed to hatch, told Popular Science that we are at a high altitude. “We had also those big storms. We just don’t know.” We just don’t know.”
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Officially designated as America’s national bird in December 2024, bald eagles have been brought back from near extinction. According to the American Eagle Foundation there were only 417 nesting pairs known in the lower 48 States in 1963. This number has soared to a minimum of 316,700 bald eagles known, including 71 400 nesting pairs. The species has recovered thanks to conservation measures implemented in the 1970s, including the banning of the pesticide DDT. However, even with these strides, they face danger from bird flu, habitat destruction, lead poisoning, and collisions with human-made infrastructure.
Only 50 percent of eagle eggs successfully hatch, so whether or not this year’s clutch will hatch remains tenuous.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
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