Fans of two cherished California bald eagles were glued to a livestream as both of their chicks hatched from their eggs this Easter weekend.
Two hatchlings belonging to Jackie and Shadow — a pair of beloved bald eagles living in Big Bear Lake just outside Los Angeles — were born this weekend.
The first chick arrived around 9:30 p.m. PST on Saturday, while the second hatched around 8:30 a.m. PST Easter morning, according to the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Jackie and Shadow have a devoted fanbase, thanks to two 24-hour cameras operated by the nonprofit that allow fans to watch the birds from their nest.
Little chirps were heard from the eggs on Thursday, before the first of the two chicks slowly pushed its way through the hard membrane of its egg and was welcomed into the world by their parents.
Eaglets are not considered hatched until they are completely free of their egg shell, the nonprofit said. It can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours for a chick to fully hatch after breaking their shell.
“The chick has popped its head out of the shell to say a happy hatch day to mom and dad!” the nonprofit wrote on Saturday, as the first chick began to hatch.
At that time, it appeared that the second egg had a pip, or a hole pecked in the shell by the chick.
The second hatchling didn’t make their way out of their egg until Sunday morning, just in time for Easter.
“Shadow arrived a bit after the 2nd hatch and saw his two tiny eaglets for the first time,” the nonprofit said in a Facebook post on Sunday. “
“He seemed quite proud and didn’t waste any time snuggling in for daddy duty. Both chicks are doing well, looking great and their journey has just begun,” the group added.
Footage from the livestream showed one of the eagle parents covering its babies for warmth just after 9 a.m. Sunday, after the two had both fully hatched.
Jackie and Shadow have been in the spotlight for years ever since Friends of Big Bear Valley set up a nest camera to provide around-the-clock coverage of the two beloved birds.
The feathered parents have parented eaglets in 2019, 2022 and 2025, raising chicks Simba and Cookie (2019), Spirit (2022) and Sunny and Gizmo (2025).
The nonprofit holds an annual fundraising naming contest to decide the names of the chicks.
Local third-grade students get the final vote on what the baby birds will be named.
“Congratulations Jackie and Shadow on your first hatch of the season,” the nonprofit wrote on its website.
While it was once considered a threatened and endangered species, the bald eagle was removed from the list in 2007, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
However, the bald eagle is still considered an endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act, which classifies it as a “fully protected” bird in the state.
Bald eagles are protected nationwide under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which bans the killing, selling or otherwise harming of eagles, their nests or eggs.
The Friends of Big Bear Valley Eagle Cam livestreams can be viewed on the group’s website.
