While bald eagles from points farther north migrate to Big Bear Valley, most do not stay year-round. In 2012, rangers in the San Bernardino National Forest discovered that the valley had become nesting territory for bald eagles. In 2015, the conservation group Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) launched a livestream to monitor wildlife in the area.
History
Two of Jackie's eaglets in 2018
Jackie, believed to be the first eaglet hatched in Big Bear Valley, came to the public's attention in 2017, when she and her original mate ("Mr. B") took over an abandoned nest beside FOBBV's livestream camera. Shadow came to the public's attention in 2018 when he vied to replace Mr. B at the nest. Mr. B's sole surviving offspring with Jackie was a male, Stormy, who fledged in late April 2018. Shadow then became Jackie's new mate.
As of 2020, Jackie and Shadow were the only year-round bald eagle residents at Big Bear Lake. During the 2019–2022 seasons, the mated pair produced eleven eggs, three of which successfully hatched, with two eaglets – Simba (male, 2019) and Spirit (2022) – surviving to fledge and disperse independently.
Jackie and Shadow's livestream drew significant public interest in early 2023, when the pair continued incubating their eggs despite frigid conditions and 45 inches (1.1m) of snow brought to the area by multiple atmospheric rivers, with the snow at times completely blanketing both the nest and the eagles sheltering their clutch. Jackie and Shadow had no hatchlings that year or the following year.
In 2025, the pair successfully hatched three eggs, but one eaglet died 10–11 days later, during a snow storm. The two surviving eaglets, which FOBBV concluded were chicks 2 and 3 in hatching order (based on their foot size and amount of thermal down feathers), were later named Sunny and Gizmo. The names, chosen from 54,000 submissions, were voted on by students at Big Bear Elementary School. The eaglet that died was named Misty, after Kathi Misterly, a FOBBV volunteer who had recently died from cancer. Sunny and Gizmo (both females) fledged within a week of one another in early June 2025. The juveniles intermittently returned to the nest and surrounding area before dispersing.
Jackie laid two eggs in early 2026, but both were eaten by a raven. FOBBV observers noticed egg damage prior to this; therefore, they posit that the eagles allowed ravens access to them. The following month, Jackie laid two more eggs, both of which hatched in April 2026. The eaglets, a male and female, were named Luna and Sandy, the latter named after Sandy Steers (1952–2026), FOBBV's founder and executive director, who conceived of and organized the live-streaming nest-cam. Similar to the previous year, both names were chosen by students at Big Bear Elementary School, who voted on 63,915 submissions. Sandy and Luna fledged within one day of each other in late June 2026, slightly prematurely due to Luna accidentally knocking Sandy off the tree. As of June29,2026[update], both juveniles were off the nest tree and being fed by their parents.
Illness and death of Jackie
On July 18, 2026, an unidentified eagle was rescued near Dana Point Park on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. The eagle, injured in a fight with two others, was later determined to be Jackie, who had not been seen near her nest in the days prior. She was transported to the Ojai Raptor Center for rehabilitation, where she was found to be underweight and suffering from severe anemia and kidney inflammation. FOBBV had observed signs that Jackie was behaving abnormally before the territorial fights, with her care team subsequently diagnosing severe illness; veterinary teams believed the illness had left her weak and vulnerable to attack. On August 10, 2026, Jackie died while in treatment. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The New York Times reported a statement posted on the Ojai Raptor Center's Facebook page, "We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her. Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her."
A tribute for Jackie was held at Fawn Park in September 2026; it included a shrine and was attended by approximately 300 people. Additionally, California State Senate passed Resolution 140, which proclaims September 4, 2026 to be California Wildlife Day, in remembrance of Jackie.
On October 14, 2026 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the results of necropsy, toxicology, and other laboratory work that, taken together, established Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza as the cause of Jackie's decline and death. The results ruled out West Nile Virus, heavy metal poisoning, and rodenticide as significant contributors, although rodenticide results were positive.
For more than 25 years, developers planned to develop a 63-acre (25ha) stretch of Big Bear Lake's north shore lakefront known as Moon Camp, located less than 1 mile (1.6km) from Jackie and Shadow's nest. The project faced significant opposition from conservationists and the general public, as it would be detrimental to the bald eagles as well as several rare and endangered plant species. In February 2026, the developer granted the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust an option to purchase the property for $10 million; the land would then be added to the San Bernardino National Forest. On July 23, 2026, Friends of Big Bear Valley announced that $10.5 million had been secured for the purchase, helped by a $5.5 million donation by Anna and Greg Brockman. The "campaign to save Moon Camp" reached its fundraising goal shortly after Jackie's hospitalization, during a surge in donations and attention following her illness.
↑"Big Bear Eagle History". Friends of Big Bear Valley. August 18, 2025. Fall 2016–Summer 2017 Season. Archived from the original on May 20, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
12"Quick Reference". Friends of Big Bear Valley. August 19, 2025. Archived from the original on May 20, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026. FOBBV Reference Guide documenting the Big Bear bald eagle nest chronology, including Jackie, Mr. B, Shadow, and offspring.
↑2-25-2023 Slow In The Snow. Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV CAM). February 25, 2023. Archived from the original on July 7, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026– via YouTube. Jackie and Shadow remain on the nest during a snowstorm as snow accumulates heavily on the parent eagles.
↑"Quick Reference". Friends of Big Bear Valley. August 19, 2025. Archived from the original on May 20, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026. Reference guide documenting Big Bear bald eagle nesting seasons, egg laying, hatch dates, eaglet timelines, fledging chronology, and nest history.
↑6-28-2026 Accidental Fledge. Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV CAM). June 28, 2026. Archived from the original on July 9, 2026. Retrieved June 29, 2026– via YouTube. At 11:30, our security camera captured Sandy flying from the nest tree area to another area out of view, making it difficult to find where she landed.
↑Cudd, Shannon (July 29, 2026). "Internet-famous bald eagle Jackie is fighting for her life as donations pour in to save Big Bear habitat". Fast Company. Retrieved August 10, 2026. While Jackie continues to fight for her life, FOBBV has reached a big fundraising milestone … to raise over $10 million to preserve nearly 63 acres near the bald eagle's nest. The funds were raised through 25,000 different small transactions and an over $5.5 million donation by Anna and Greg Brockman … Voisard was happy to surprise the larger team with the good news, especially in the midst of Jackie's struggles.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)