Big Bear Bald Eagle Watch

Jackie & Shadow are Big Bear Lake's resident wild bald eagles. Each year, the duo returns to their nest in the valley to prep for a new clutch of eggs and hatchlings. The Friends of the Big Bear Valley maintains the famous Big Bear Eagle Cam that draws thousands of viewers world-wide to watch the life and times of Jackie & Shadow.

We Have a Fledge!

Sunny has officially fledged the eagles nest! She regularly makes laps nearby before returning for snack breaks.

Gizmo is saving up her energy for her big fledge day!

And the Names are....

Sunny & Gizmo

Hosted by the Friends of the Big Bear Valley - owners and operators of the Live Eagle Cam - names have been submitted and the winning names have been announced!

Sunny & Gizmo are sisters!

Watch the Live Eagle Cam!

An Egg-citing 2025!

June 7, 2025: Gizmo has fledged and flown from the nest - managing to land on the nearby Simba tree!

June 2, 2025: Sunny has fully fledged and flown away from the nest!

May 11, 2025: Sunny leaps the full width of the nest while Gizmo flaps their wings. Gizmo begins branching!

May 8, 2025: Sunny and Gizmo get their first night alone in the nest with Shadow checking in to assure their safety.

May 2, 2025: Sunny swallows a fish whole.

April 20, 2025: Sunny and Gizmo get their first self-feeding lesson as Shadow drops off a fish.

April 14, 2025: Both Sunny and Gizmo begin flapping their wings.

April 9, 2025: Sunny successfully stands on two legs with Gizmo following in Sunny's footsteps a day after.

April 2, 2025: Big Bear 3rd - 5th graders vote on names Sunny and Gizmo.

March 21, 2025: The Chick Naming Contest in on!

March 16, 2025: With great sadness, a death was announced with one of the eaglets.

March 6, 2025: The third egg showed signs of hatching, with a "pip" visible, indicating a chick was inside.

March 4, 2025: The second eaglet hatched around 4:30 a.m.

March 3, 2025: The first eaglet hatched around 11:30 p.m.

March 1, 2025: Pip Watch Begins! A pip is a small hole in the egg shell created by the chick using its egg tooth. It is the beginning of the hatching process!

January 28, 2025: Egg #3 arrived at 5:40 PM! This is only the second time that Jackie has laid 3 eggs in one clutch.

January 25, 2025: Egg #2 has arrived at 4:45 PM!

January 22, 2025: It's here! Jackie the Bald Eagle laid her first egg of 2025 at 5:06 PM. An average, the gestation phase between egg lay and first pip is 35 days.

Eagle Protection - Forest Closure Order

Every year, the San Bernardino National Forest places a Forest Closure Order to protect the eagle habitat from human activity in their vicinity. Disturbances can cause eagles to abandon their nests, even when eggs or eaglets are present.

Please respect the forest closure in place from December 1, 2024. The closure includes:

• Gray's Peak Trailhead (closed until July 31, 2025) Map of Closure
• Grout Bay Picnic Area (closed until July 31, 2025) Read Closure Detail

Gates will be closed to block off these areas to traffic.

History of Bald Eagles in Big Bear

According to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the eagles’ nest has been in active use since the fall of 2013. The surrounding area is annually closed to the public to protect the eagles.

In 2012, the first bald eagle chick (at least the first in recorded history) hatched in the Big Bear Valley. She was successfully raised to fledge. Since then, about a dozen eggs have been laid with just a fraction of them hatching and growing to maturity. Roughly 50% of eaglets survive to adulthood, making protection of their nesting habitat that much more important.

And what about that neat camera capturing all the excitement? The Eagle Cam was first installed in the fall of 2015 and recorded its first eagle nesting season in 2017.

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Friends of Big Bear Valley is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Your kindhearted support allows us to be who we are, Donate Today!