Watch Bald Eagle Eggs Hatch On Live Nest Cam

Tune into the Big Bear bald eagle nest live cam and you’ll be in good company with thousands of people from all over the world. A pair of raptors named Jackie and Shadow are caring for three eggs at 120 feet up in a pine tree in Big Bear Valley in California. They’ve become wildlife celebrities thanks to a live-streaming camera operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting the wilderness site inside the San Bernardino National Forest.

Between Facebook and YouTube, FOBBV’s eagles have over a million followers. Eagle fans have been on “pip watch” since February 29. Pipping is the process of a baby breaking through the shell. Jackie laid the eggs in late January, so the youngsters could hatch any day now. That means eagle baby fever is reaching a high pitch online. A live chat on YouTube on Monday morning was full of participants discussing incubation times, egg viability and eagle behavior, and looking for any sign of hatching.

Jackie and Shadow paired up in 2018. Their nest is a constant construction project and it currently reaches over 5 feet in diameter and is about 6 feet deep. Though the birds have a long history together, they’re still able to surprise the humans who have been following their adventures. This year, Jackie and Shadow delivered three eggs. “That’s the first time Jackie has laid three eggs,” says FOBBV executive director Sandy Steeers in an interview. “The most common for eagles is two eggs in a clutch.”

Hatching and raising babies is a cooperative effort. “Shadow is just as committed to these eggs,” says Steers. “You can see it in how he treats them and how he treats the babies. He’s very gentle.” It’s a tremendous effort for a baby eagle to break out of an egg, so the hatching process can take several days.

Here are some tips for watching the nest cam. If you see both eagles together, you can tell them apart because Jackie is bigger. It’s typical for female bald eagles to be larger than males. If you’re lucky and your timing is right, you might witness an exchange as the eagles swap out who sits on the eggs. Both eagles may bring new branches home as a bonding ritual that shows their continued commitment to the nest. FOBBV is monitoring the eggs and will post updates on YouTube and Facebook if pipping is confirmed.

You can catch up on the eagles’ activities through FOBBV’s online updates. The updates are written with enthusiasm and personality. You’ll get a feel for how the eagles interact with each other and how their co-parenting partnership works. Steers writes some of the recaps. “The eagles just speak to me,” she says. “It’s not just an update, but showing people so they can connect with these beings as individuals.” Shadow, for example, doesn’t always like to relinquish his egg-sitting shift and has to be nudged by Jackie to allow a changeover.

Pipping is just the beginning. The camera will track any nestlings and allow the world a window into the eagles’ child-rearing work. But babies aren’t guaranteed. Jackie and Shadow laid two eggs last year, but neither egg hatched. Steers says it’s impossible to know if the eggs froze, if they weren’t fertilized or if something else happened. That means there’s a lot of hope riding on this year’s eggs.

The popularity of the eagle cam has translated into more visitors to Big Bear Valley. Not everyone can visit the forest in person, but Steers hopes viewers will make a connection to the land and the animals that call it home. She thinks the eagles’ popularity is due in part to how their avian lives feel familiar. “We’re part of nature. It’s not that we’re separate,” she says. Like with many human relationships, the eagles work together to build a home and raise a family. The birds sometimes argue about who gets to sit on the nest or where a branch should go, but they work it out and make up afterward.

Far up in a pine tree in California, two bald eagles are living their lives, unaware of how many eyes are upon them. They’re an online oasis, a nature special playing out in real time. This year could bring joy or heartbreak, and thousands of people are ready to take that journey with them.