It’s an Easter Sunday to remember for Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow, who welcomed a pair of eaglets this weekend in front of 2.5 million social media followers.
The first chick hatched late Saturday at 11:33 p.m. while the second emerged Sunday at 8:30 a.m., according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit group that oversees the couple’s webcam.
The cam has followed Jackie and Shadow, who have been mating since 2018, and made the birds worldwide celebrities and regular fixtures of morning TV shows.
The livestream is believed to be the most viewed of any year-round nature cams on YouTube.
The two chicks will be named by the third-graders at a school in Big Bear, according to Jenny Voisard, media manager for Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Observers spotted what appeared to be a pip — or breach in the eggshell — on Friday. Hatching typically takes 24 to 48 hours after the first pip, the nonprofit said. As of Friday morning, a bit of shell could be seen popping out on the top of the egg.
Video footage posted by the nonprofit shows a close-up of the cracked shell in the nest as winds blow and an eagle stands guard.
By Saturday, the first chick had popped its head out of the shell. Friends of Big Bear Valley noted in a Facebook post that a bird is not considered hatched until it is completely free of the shell. Watchers on Saturday spotted what appeared to be a pip in the second egg.
By Sunday, both were born and appeared healthy.
Webcam viewers will have a short window to catch the two eaglets before they leave the nest. It takes 10 to 14 weeks for them to fledge, Voisard said.
The births are a triumph for Jackie and Shadow, who lost a clutch in late January. Ravens ate the couple’s two eggs when they were left unattended for several hours.
The couple went back to work, and Jackie laid two new eggs in late February.
Last year, the couple raised two daughters — Gizmo and Sunny — who went on to fledge.
Times staff writer Lila Seidman contributed to this report.
