Two bald eagles have once again captured the hearts of the internet as they sit on a clutch of three eggs for the second year in a row.
The eagles, named Jackie and Shadow, have been nesting in Big Bear Lake, California since 2018. Jackie was first to arrive in the valley in 2017. Shadow flew into the valley and became her breeding partner one year later. Typically bald eagles partner for life.
The non-profit organization Friends of Big Bear Valley supports a wildlife camera focused on their nest and posts periodic updates on their Facebook page. Their updates help viewers interpret what’s happening in the nest and catch up on what they might have missed.
Last year, Jackie and Shadow sat on their three eggs for weeks past the typical incubation period of 35 days. After waiting anxiously, it was clear that their clutch of eggs wasn’t going to hatch.
Fans of the pair are hopeful for a better result this year, as Jackie once again laid three eggs. She laid her first egg on January 22 and the third on January 28.
Bald Eagle Breeding
Typically, eagles will build their nests in the tallest tree in the area, and will return to the same nest year after year. This is fortunate news for Jackie and Shadow fans who have been watching the pair for years.
Breeding season for bald eagles varies by latitude. In Florida, eagles may begin laying eggs as early as November. Eagles in colder areas like Alaska will wait until late April through May. In California, it’s normal for breeding pairs like Jackie and Shadow to begin breeding in January.
Three eggs is unusual for bald eagles, making Jackie and Shadow’s back-to-back trio of eggs even more impressive. Each egg is typically laid a few days apart.
Once the eggs are laid, male and female eagles take turns sitting on the nest and incubating the eggs. When not on the nest, the other partner will sometimes hunt and bring food back to share.
Eagle eggs can fail to hatch for many reasons, including hypothermia, hyperthermia, toxic organisms making their way into the shell or insufficient egg turning. Jackie and Shadow have laid over 14 eggs together. Of those, five have hatched and only two or three of their eaglets have survived into adulthood.
If an egg is successfully incubated, a chick will hatch out of its egg about 35 days after being laid. Only time will tell if this clutch of eggs will be successful, but there will surely be thousands of people hopefully watching for the outcome.
