Chick of Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow vanishes from view

Concerns are growing for Big Bear’s beloved bald eagle couple Shadow and Jackie after one of the three eaglets that hatched in the pair’s nest this month disappeared from view.

Throngs of fans flocked to the popular 24-hour live feed of the eagles’ nest to celebrate when the pair welcomed the fuzzy new arrivals, the last of which broke out of its shell in the early morning hours of March 8.

For a week, viewers watched as father Shadow and mother Jackie fed and tended to their seemingly healthy offspring, accurately described on the camera’s Facebook page as “fluff balls of adorability.”

But things took a distressing turn Friday morning. Only two gray chicks could be seen moving in the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake.

A snow berm left by this week’s storm obscured the camera’s view into the nest. But Friends of Big Bear Valley, the educational nonprofit that runs the webcam, confirmed Friday evening that a small bit of visible gray fuzz may indeed be the remains of one young chick.

“We know that both the possibility and the uncertainty are hard to hear,” the nonprofit wrote in its public log, noting that it was impossible to determine which of the three chicks may have been lost. “We share these feelings with all of you.”

On Saturday morning, more than 65,000 of the eagles’ fans watched live as one of the parents fed bits of fish to two awake and eager chicks. A small bit of fuzz attached to a motionless object next to them wavered in the wind.

Since the live camera was installed in 2015, tens of thousands of fans have followed Jackie and Shadow’s growing brood.

The recent births follow years of disappointment. In 2023, the pair’s eggs were eaten by ravens. Last year, severe cold impeded the hatching of another trio of eggs.

A webcam trained on the eagles’ nests showed only two of the eaglets feeding Saturday morning.

(Friends of Big Bear Valley)

The eaglet’s exact fate is still uncertain, but Friends of Big Bear Valley took to Facebook on Friday evening to dispel rumors originating from viewers’ misinterpretation of eagle behavior.

Shadow did not step on one of his chicks, the organization wrote, nor did Jackie accidentally knock a chick from the nest while slapping away a flying squirrel.

“We are observers of nature. Things happen that we cannot control. We do not know the entirety of the current situation at this time. Even when our emotions are running over, drama, worry and assumptions do not change any situation or help anyone,” the organization wrote. “We have the opportunity to observe the miracles of nature in all of its aspects. Please approach it with patience, understanding and heartfelt kindness to those around you.”