America’s most popular eggs have just hatched: Live bald eagle cam delivers on its promise of great drama

While there seems to be no relief in sight for the high cost of eggs, it almost feels counterintuitive for people to celebrate two cracking, but it is a welcome distraction from the current political turmoil.

Two bald eagles in Big Bear, California, have just become parents again to two chicks, with the potential for a third. This is egg-cellent news. Here’s everything to know about Jackie and Shadow’s journey to parenthood:

Jackie and Shadow’s origin story

Jackie and Shadow have been together since 2018. Shadow actually stole Jackie from another male, which is unusual for eagles who normally mate for life.

They successfully raised two chicks but also experienced their fair share of loss over the years. Humans have come to know and love them while watching live streams of two bald eagle webcams maintained by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley.

For the past two seasons, Jackie and Shadow’s egg did not hatch despite the parents’ best efforts making this season’s births even more special.

2025’s egg timeline

This season, Jackie laid three eggs, which is unusual for eagles. The first made its debut on January 22. Three days later, another one appeared in the nest. The last was laid on January 28.

The first pip, or crack, was spotted on Sunday at 3:09 p.m local time. The second came around 8 a.m. on Monday. The first chick fully hatched around 11:30 a.m. on Monday while the second one made its way into the world at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Typically, parents do not help the chicks with this process, but Shadow has stepped in from time to time.

Temporarily, the babies are known as Chick 1 and Chick 2. Eventually, a naming contest will help the nonprofit come up with much more creative monikers. This has not been formally announced yet but historically a third grade class in Big Bear has the final vote.

There is still a chance the third egg will also hatch. March 4 marked 35 days since it has been laid, which is normally when the hatching period begins. Fans are rooting for this since Jackie and Shadow have never raised three chicks at one time before.

What’s next for this family of eagles?

Chick 1 and Chick 2 don’t need to eat immediately because they absorbed the yolk on their way out of the egg. Eventually, Jackie and Shadow will bring them small pieces of raw meat. Some bird parents regurgitate their food but not bald eagles.

At this young age, it is hard to guess the gender of the chicks. The only official way to tell is through a blood test, but once the chicks get to be around nine weeks old, their physical appearance will allow for an educated guess. Females tend to be larger.

The chicks will stay in the nest for 10 to 12 weeks. Around this time they fledge or fly from the nest. For the next couple of months, they will remain close to home to test their wings. After that, they will typically head out to start their own adult life.

How can I see the bald eagle action for myself?

To watch the chicks grow up and root for another sibling, watch the two live-feed cameras. The first camera offers a close-up view of the nest while the second zooms out for perspective.

As of Wednesday morning, almost 30,000 viewers were watching the nest live. We’ve also embedded the YouTube video below.

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