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🦅 Big Bear Bald Eagles

Meet Jackie & Shadow — Big Bear Lake's beloved bald eagle family. Watch live, explore their history, and learn about the valley's most famous residents.

Live Cameras

Eagle Nest Livestream

Watch Jackie and Shadow in real-time on two cameras operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV). The Axis 10x zoom nest camera was installed in 2015; a wide-view cam was added in 2021. Both are solar-powered with infrared for night viewing.

Cam 1 — Nest View
Cam 2 — Wide View

Live streams provided by FOBBV YouTube. If the stream is offline, check the FOBBV website for updates.

At a Glance

Jackie & Shadow — Quick Facts

🦅
Jackie
Female • ~14 yrs old
🦅
Shadow
Male • ~12 yrs old
🥚
15 Seasons
Documented Since 2012
🐣
8 Chicks
Hatched at This Nest
🌲
Jeffrey Pine
Nest 145 ft high
📷
2 Cameras
Since 2015 • Wide 2021

Timeline

Nesting History Highlights

2012 — Jackie Is Born
The first bald eagle chick ever hatched in Big Bear Valley. Parents Ricky & Lucy named their chick Jack — later renamed Jackie when she grew larger than both parents (females are bigger).
2015 — Nest Cam Installed
Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) installed the first nest camera after 2 years of planning and fundraising, bringing the eagles to a worldwide audience.
2017 — Jackie Takes the Nest
After Ricky & Lucy left the area, Jackie claimed the nest with the camera. She paired with a mate named Mr. B but didn't lay eggs that first year.
2018 — Stormy & BBB (Shadow Arrives)
Jackie's first clutch hatched — Stormy and BBB. BBB was lost to a storm, but Stormy fledged and became world-famous. That summer, an intruder male named Shadow refused to leave and became Jackie's new mate.
2019 — Simba & Cookie
Two eggs hatched on April 14–15. Cookie didn't survive a storm; Simba fledged successfully on July 23rd. Both chicks were banded.
2020 — Non-Viable Eggs
Jackie laid eggs on January 8 & 11, but they failed to hatch after 60+ days. Ravens eventually cracked them — no development was visible.
2021 — Heartbreak Season
A turbulent year with 5 eggs across two clutches. Ravens, a broken egg during laying, and a failed hatch made this the toughest season yet.
2022 — Spirit!
One egg hatched on March 3 and the chick was named Spirit. She stole hearts worldwide and fledged successfully on May 31. The other egg was adopted as a "security blanket" by Spirit.
2023 — Eggs Don't Hatch
Two eggs laid January 11 & 14, but after 47+ days of incubation, they didn't hatch and were eventually lost to ravens. Tragically, both Stormy and Simba were found deceased elsewhere in California.
2024 — Three Eggs, None Hatch
Jackie laid a rare 3-egg clutch. Despite heroic incubation through severe El Niño storms (62 continuous hours on the nest!), none hatched after nearly 80 days. High altitude and snow may have reduced oxygen flow.
2025 — Sunny & Gizmo! 🎉
Another 3-egg clutch — and all three hatched! Misty was lost during a snowstorm, but Sunny (fledged June 2, 90 days) and Gizmo (fledged June 7, 91 days) became the first pair Jackie & Shadow fledged together. Both are believed to be female.
2026 — Current Season 🔴 LIVE
Jackie laid eggs on Jan 23 & Jan 26, but both were breached by ravens on Jan 30. Undeterred, Jackie laid a replacement clutch starting Feb 24. The season is ongoing — watch live above!

Full Nesting History

Explore

Learn More

Jackie & Shadow

Meet Big Bear's famous eagle couple — how they met, their personalities, and their family story.

Read their story

Full Nesting History

15 seasons from 2012 to today — every egg, eaglet, storm, and milestone including the live 2026 season.

See the timeline

Bald Eagle Facts & FAQ

Wingspan, diet, nesting habits, conservation, and answers to the most-asked eagle questions.

Read the facts

The Eaglets

Stormy, Simba, Cookie, BBB, Spirit, Misty, Sunny & Gizmo — profiles of every chick.

Meet the chicks

The Nest & Camera

The 160-ft Jeffrey pine, the Axis 10x zoom cam, solar power system, and the federal closure area.

See the setup

Friends of Big Bear Valley

The nonprofit behind it all — founded 2001, camera operators, eagle monitors, and how to help.

Learn about FOBBV

In Person

Spotting Eagles in Big Bear

🔭 Eagle Viewing Tips

  • • Best Season: October through June (nesting season). Winter eagle counts historically showed 25–30 bald eagles visiting the valley; recent counts average 6–8.
  • • Best Time of Day: Early morning and late afternoon when eagles are most active hunting over the lake.
  • • Where to Look: Along the north shore of Big Bear Lake, near tall Jeffrey pines and dead snags. The nest tree is a 160+ foot Jeffrey pine near the Grout Bay / Gray's Peak area.
  • • Keep Your Distance: Federal law (BGEPA) requires staying away from the nest. The San Bernardino National Forest enforces a seasonal closure area (Gray's Peak Area Closure) from approximately December through July each year.
  • • Penalties: Violating eagle protections can result in fines up to $100,000 and up to one year imprisonment.
  • • Big Bear Alpine Zoo: The zoo houses rescued bald eagles and golden eagles as "animal ambassadors." Zoo details →
  • • FOBBV Events: FOBBV hosts "Outdoor Adventure Days" annually (now in its 10th year!) where eagles sometimes make appearances.

Friends of Big Bear Valley

All eagle nest cameras and research are operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 by Pat Klous and Roman Silberfeld (originally as "Friends of Fawnskin"). FOBBV installed the first nest camera in October 2015 under U.S. Forest Service permits, followed by a wide-view camera in 2021. The streams reach hundreds of thousands of subscribers worldwide.

FOBBV relies entirely on donations and volunteers to continue this work — including camera maintenance, eagle monitoring logs, and community education events.

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