Jackie and Shadow’s 2026 eaglets,Sandy and Luna, have officially left Big Bear Valley. The 17-week-old eaglets were last spotted on July 23, and Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) announced today that they’ve likely set out on their next adventure. They may pop up on the non-profit’s live cameras from time to time, but since they are not banded, we likely won’t know where they will go on their journey.
“We wish them both the best on their future adventures!”FOBBV writes.
Now that Sandy and Luna are out of the neat, their father Shadow is on his “summer vacation.” He will occasionally be spotted on FOBBV’s cameras. Big Bear Lake is about seven miles long with 15 miles of shoreline, so the papa eagle has plenty of space to perch and relax. Without the eaglets to care for in the nest, he does not have a real need to remain there.
Shadow’s partner Jackie is still being cared for over 100 miles away at the Ojai Raptor Center. On July 17, she wasfound on the groundnear Dana Point Park, following an altercation on the ground with two other subadult eagles. Cell phone video confirmed she was able to fend off the other eagles by turning over and using her talons, but could not fly far away. The Los Angeles County Parks San Dimas Raptor Rescue then picked her up and she wastransferred to the Ojai Raptor Center.
She has been diagnosed with anemia, which has beenworsening in recent days. The Ojai Raptor Center says that they will continue to update the public on Jackie’s condition, as she is beloved by millions. Unfortunately, this outpouring of love and demanding updates can impede work and hashelped misinformation spread online.
“There is a petition out there that FOBBV does not support, demanding updates for the public,” FOBBV writes. “None of us are entitled to any information, this petition does nothing for Jackie, hinders her care team and only heightens people’s anxiety over the situation.”
FOBBV added that it is disappointing to see the nasty comments left on Ojai Raptor Center’s Facebook page and elsewhere.
“Their goal is to get Jackie healthy and release her back to her territory, please let them do their job,” says FOBBV. “We are all in this together, continued prayers, positive thoughts and hope for Jackie and her medical team is all we can do at this time.”
On Wednesday afternoon Ojai Raptor Center provided an update, sharing that Jackie had a contrast CT scan, bone marrow biopsy, and other advanced diagnostics. The Ojai Raptor Center says that she recovered well from the anesthesia and is in her recovery enclosure receiving supplemental oxygen.
“Our veterinary team, together with our scientific advisory council and consulting specialists, are now reviewing today’s findings alongside her previous test results,”the center writes. “Additional lab work is still pending. We will share a more comprehensive update once we have had the opportunity to review everything.”
This is a developing story and we will continue to share updates as they become available from theOjai Raptor CenterandFOBBV’sofficial channels.
It’s been another roller coaster nesting season forJackie and Shadow, a pair of internet-famous bald eagle parents living in San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. Aftertwo of their eggs were destroyed by ravensin January, Jackie and Shadow laid two new eggs that have successfully hatched.
On May 1, FOBBV announced the chicks’ names:Sandy and Luna.
Chicks usually stay in the nest until10 to 14 weeks of age.
Before leaving the nest, the chicks face threats from other birds of prey, including hawks, ravens, other eagles, and owls. Inclement weather can also present challenges for the chicks. In 2025, a March snowstorm resulted in the death of one of Jackie and Shadow’s three chicks.
During fledging, only 70 percent of eaglets survive. One of the greatest threats is from cars that can injure or kill the birds while they scavenge for food on roadkill.
The pair first got together in 2018 and successfully raised chicks in 2019 and 2022. However, their eggs failed to hatch in 2023 and 2024. Only 50 percent of eagle eggs successfully hatch, so this pair has already beaten the odds.
In 2025,Jackie laid three eggsthat all hatched in early March. On March 13, a strong snowstorm dumped up to two feet of snow and battered the nest with strong winds. Only two of the chicks were visible on the live cam when the storm passed by the next morning. FOBBV later confirmed the passing of one of the chicks. The two surviving chicks were laternamed Sunny and Gizmoafter 54,000 names were submitted by fans.
Young eagles usuallyfledge-or leave the nest and fly-when they can flatten their wings and have feathers capable of flight. This typically occurs when the birds hit10 to 14 weeks of age. Males also tend to take their first flight a little sooner than females.
According to FOBBV,fledglings from Southern California have been spotted as far south as Baja California, as far north as British Columbia, and as far east as Yellowstone National Park.
About70 percentof bald eagles survive the fledgling stage. FOBBV does not tag their eagles, so it’s not possible to follow the chicks’ journeys after they flee the nest.
FOBBVaccepts donationsto support its conservation efforts in the area. The organization recentlyreached a goal of raising $10 millionto purchase land around Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. A $5.5 million donation from Anna and Greg Brockman pushed the fundraiser to its goal ahead of a deadline. Greg Brockman is the co-founder and President of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Before the Brockmans’ donation, more than 25,000 donations had raised almost half of the necessary funds.
You can help the rescue organization nursing Jackie back to health bydonating to Ojai Raptor Center’s Bald Eagle Recovery Campaign.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Popular Science’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Kaynak: Popular Science
