Viral bald eagles Jackie and Shadow welcome 1st eggs of 2026
Viral bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are expectant parents once again!
Jackie laid her first eggs 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.
Jackie laid a first egg last Friday and then a second egg Monday evening, Friends of Big Bear Valley shared on Facebook.
"Bald Eagles practice delayed incubation," the nonprofit said. "They intermittently incubate and stay off or hover over the egg(s) until the last egg of the clutch is laid. Once the last egg is laid, they should incubate all the eggs more regularly."
Friends of Big Bear Valley previously told ABC News 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.
