Viral bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are expectant parents once again!
Jackie laid her first egg of 2026 in their nest in the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California last Friday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs 24/7 cameras and livestreams of the bald eagles and their habitat.
“Not long after Egg#1 was laid last night, Shadow arrived to tired Jackie’s soft chortles,” the nonprofit wrote in a Facebook post. “He stayed just long enough to get a perfect look at the egg as it nestled under Jackie. He may have been perched nearby and since this isn’t his first rodeo as a Daddy, he came in to check on Jackie and the egg to make sure all was well.”
Friends of Big Bear Valley told ABC News Monday there’s a possibility Jackie may lay another egg, and that bald eagles can lay anywhere from one to five eggs every three to five days at a time.
“We are egg-cited for Jackie and Shadow,” the nonprofit told ABC News. “We can’t predict what happens in nature because it is unscripted but we are thrilled to be able to watch and see what happens next.”
Jackie and Shadow have been observed taking turns caring for their egg.
In past years, Jackie has laid eggs every three days on average and so far, there haven’t been any noticeable changes in Jackie’s behavior, according to the nonprofit.
Jackie laid three eggs in 2025 and 2024, with her first egg of 2025 appearing on Jan. 25. All three eggs hatched last year but one chick died in March 2025 following a winter storm. The remaining two chicks were named Sunny and Gizmo.