It’s all eyes on Big Bear for the next few months as the mountain community’s famed feathery couple prepares to potentially expand its family.
Jackie and Shadow, a pair of bald eagles, have captured the hearts of Internet dwellers who’ve rooted for the bird couple over the past several years. The two have experienced the highs of parenthood with the successful hatchings of their chicks, but also the heartbreak of the loss of a hatchling and eggs that never even hatched.
Through their journey, Jackie and Shadow have had a community of support from their fans. Now, those supporters are cheering them again since the eagles have engaged in behavior that indicates they’re preparing to expand their family once more.
“I am amazed. I wonder what is going on inside Jackie’s body and what she’s thinking,” said Jennifer Voisard, Media and Website Manager of Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV). The nonprofit runs the livestreams of the eagles’ nest, which is how fans are able to check in with the beloved bird duo.
In recent days, the two birds stopped building their nest and Jackie was seen “pancaking.”
“That’s what she does, and Shadow does it, too,” Voisard said. “She lies flat in the nest bowl and making the shape, testing it out, and getting it ready for incubation.”
Bald eagles tend to mate in the fall to early winter, with egg-laying typically occurring in the spring. These eagles are on good time since January tends to be when eagles build their nest in preparation for incubation.
Jackie and Shadow have resided in the same nest for several years and have made changes to it to make it stronger. As of Wednesday, it’s estimated to be about 5-and-a-half-feet by 6-feet, which is roughly the size of a park table.
“They are beloved,” Voisard. “They are characters and we get a personal view into their daily lives.”
To learn more about Jackie and Shadow and to tune into FOBBV’s eagle cam, click here.
