Beloved Bald Eagles, Jackie and Shadow, Welcome Two Eaglets After Years of Trying—See Them Here

Southern California's beloved bald eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow, welcomed two new hatchlings into the world this week.

The exciting moment was captured on the Friends of Big Bear Valley (FBBV) Facebook livestream. The first chick emerged from its shell at around 11:26 p.m. on Monday, March 3. The second chick pushed itself fully out of its shell at 4:29 a.m. on Tuesday, March 4, according to FBBV. A third egg has yet to hatch.

National Park News shared a video of Jackie and Shadow taking care of their new eaglets on Instagram. "Of course, Jackie, their proud and attentive mom, is doing a wonderful job (as always) of keeping her little ones safe and warm. The weather has been cold and blustery recently," the caption reads.

Shadow was also excited to meet his new babies. Soon after the second egg hatched, "Shadow called from a distance and Jackie seemed to be happily announcing that he was now Papa to 2 new fluffy chicks!" FFBV says. The non-profit added that he looked over the eaglets a few times before settling in on top of them.

Jackie and Shadow's first pip of the season was confirmed on March 2, with the second pip confirmed on March 3. Pipping is when the bird inside the egg begins to crack the shell with its beak.

The third egg is currently on pip watch. According to FFBV, eggs hatch after 35 to 42 days of incubation. The third egg is only on day 34. "So still plenty of time to wait and watch what happens with it," the non-profit says.

Jackie laid her eggs in late January, and viewers have been closely following her journey ever since. Over the coming weeks, Jackie and Shadow will take turns monitoring their new babies. The eaglets will fledge at about 12 weeks of age, spending a month or two in the area before heading off into the world on their own, according to the American Eagle Foundation.

This isn't the first time Jackie and Shadow welcomed eaglets into the world. The couple successfully raised chicks in 2019 and 2022. However, the last two seasons weren't as lucky for them. Last January Jackie laid three eggs, but none of them hatched. Viewers are elated that this season offered a different outcome.