Jackie and Shadow's 2nd chick hatches on Easter. See 'fluff balls.'
Jackie and Shadow's 2nd chick hatches on Easter. See 'fluff balls.'
Julia Gomez, Mike Snider and Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAYMon, April 6, 2026 at 12:06 PM UTC
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Famous eagle parents Jackie and Shadow's second egg officially hatched on Easter Sunday, giving fans and its parents a second ball of fluff to watch and love.
The chick, which is being referred to as Chick 2 until it is officially named, was hatched on Easter Sunday, April 5, at 8:30 a.m. local time in Jackie and Shadow's nest, according to the Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam at Big Bear Valley Facebook. The nest is located in the Big Bear Valley, a 15-mile valley in the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California.
The chick's hatching was caught on camera the morning after its older sibling, Chick 1, hatched on Saturday, April 4, at 9:33 p.m. local time. Chick 1 was receiving its first feeding when Chick 2 fully hatched from its egg. The chicks are considered fully hatched when its "completely free of the egg shell," according to the group.
A screenshot from the Friends of Big Bear Valley eagle cam shows Jackie and Shadow's newborn eaglets.
Both hatchings were caught on camera via the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam, and clips were later posted to the live stream's Facebook account.
"Congratulations on your 2 beautiful fluff balls, Jackie & Shadow!" the nonprofit wrote on Facebook.
Watch the Chick 2 hatch
Can't see the video? Click here.
'Bobbleheads' and 'daddy duty'
Jackie was successfully feeding Chick 1 for the first time when Chick 2 was born, while Shadow was away from the nest.
"Initial feedings are often challenging as the chicks do not have much muscle strength in their necks," the group stated in a post on Facebook announcing Chick 2's hatching. "At this stage, they are often called bobbleheads!"
Soon after Chick 2 hatched, Shadow returned to the nest.
"He seemed quite proud and didn’t waste any time snuggling in for daddy duty," according to the group.
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1 / 0See bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow and their life in the wild
Jackie and Shadow, the two viral bald eagles who call Southern California their home, pictured in their nest on Jan. 19, 2026. In a Facebook post, Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs 24/7 cameras and livestreams of the eagles and their habitat, said Jackie laid her first eggs of 2026 in the couple's nest inside the San Bernardino National Forest on Jan. 23, and again on Jan. 26. In February 2025, Jackie laid three eggs. At the time, both bald eagles were seen on video rotating shifts, sitting on the eggs and caring for one another. The couple is doing the same thing almost a year later.
Jackie laid the eggs over a month ago
Jackie and Shadow have been guarding the eggs since Jackie laid them on Feb. 24 and Feb. 27, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting.
The eggs came after tragedy struck during the 2025-2026 breeding season. The couple lost their first clutch of eggs, which were laid in January, after ravens breached the nest.
How to watch Big Bear Bald Eagle Livestreams
The live streams can be watched on Friends of Big Bear Valley's website at friendsofbigbearvalley.org/livestream.
Viewers can watch the couple care for their chicks from multiple angles via two different livestreams on the website.
When did the Big Bear Valley Nest Cam begin?
The preservation group set up a webcam in Big Bear Lake Forest in 2016, located a hundred miles northeast of Los Angeles. Over the years, Jackie and Shadow have grown an internet flock, and there's been plenty of drama, including Shadow chasing off another male in 2018.
The couple welcomed chicks in 2019 and 2022, but lost eggs in 2023 and 2024. Then, in 2025, two eaglets survived out of the three eggs laid.
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, space phenomena, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big Bear eagles welcome second chick on Easter Sunday. See it.
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