Big Bear Eagle cam: Third egg begins hatching
Jackie and Shadow's 3rd egg starts to hatch
The third egg of bald eagles Jackie and Shadow began hatching Thursday, just days after their first two eggs hatched.
BIG BEAR, Calif. - Big Bear's popular eagles Jackie and Shadow are about to have a full nest!
Their third egg showed signs of piping Thursday morning.
What they're saying:
Friends of Big Bear Valley, the group that monitors the live eagle cam, said they spotted pip movement around 10:21 a.m. The chick's beak was seen moving inside the egg. By 10:53 a.m., the pip site got larger.
"We are under snowy weather today. Jackie and Shadow may hunker down for the whole day and skip the feedings, even though there is plenty of food on the nest. Protecting the chicks from the elements is very important. They ate very well and had very full crops yesterday, so they should be fine for a few days on the contents of their crops. Hatching is a long process. It may take a day or more for the chick to fully emerge from the shell," their Facebook post wrote.
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Jackie's two other eggs hatched earlier this week.
RELATED: Big Bear bald eagles live cam: Jackie and Shadow welcome new eaglets
This marks the first time in three years that the pair have had eaglets, drawing the attention of thousands of fans.
In 2019, they had two chicks and in 2022 they had one.
Two of three eagle eggs hatch
Fans of eagles Jackie and Shadow have welcomed two new eaglets. They are now waiting for the third egg to pip. Sandy Steers with Friends of Big Bear Valley talks to FOX 11 about the happy delivery.
What's next:
According to Sandy Steers, executive director of FBBV, the chicks will stay in the nest and be fed by Jackie for 10 to 14 weeks.
"They have to be full-grown before they can fledge the nest. In the meantime, the chicks will be doing like flapping with their wings, and we call it winger-cising and jumping up and down and trying to, you know, build the strength of their wings, but they will be well fed in the meantime. After that, once they fledge, they usually come back to the nest off and on. But in any case, Jackie and Shadow will follow them around and make sure they get food and make sure they learn how to eat and hunt and fend for themselves and to get food so they'll be well taken care of," Steers said on FOX 11.
By the next nesting season, any previous chicks of Jackie and Shadow would be considered an intruder if they attempt to come close to the nest, Steers explained.
Naming the eaglets
The community will get the opportunity to name the three eaglets. Steers said people could submit names, then the local third grade class, which studies eagles that year, would get to vote and pick the final names.