Just days after Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow had their second egg of 2026, both eggs appear to be cracked and ruined.
A little before noon on Friday, Jan. 30, the two eagles, whose annual nesting has been livestreamed since 2015, took a break from their nest.
âJackie and Shadow left the nest area for quite some time this afternoon, which was a little uncharacteristic of them,â said Jennifer Voisard, media and website manager for the environmental nonprofit group Friends of Big Bear Valley, which operates the camera. âWe didnât hear their vocalizations or anything.â
Not even when a raven landed nearby and then eventually moved into the nest with the eggs.
The livesteam attracts thousands of viewers each day. And on Friday, fans of the bald eagle pair watched live what came next.
âOne of the ravens was pecking at an egg and broke the shell,â viewer Christine Bartos Werlein posted on Facebook. âI hope Jackie and Shadow are ok!â
Something didnât look quite right to the Friends of Big Bear Valley. When they zoomed in the camera, everyoneâs worst fears were confirmed.
âWhen we zoomed in, we saw a crack in it,â Voisard said. âWe believe they have breached the other egg as well.â
One or both eggs may have been cracked before the ravens arrived, she said, which would explain why the parents felt comfortable leaving the eggs for more than an hour.
Itâs still possible that Jackie could lay more eggs this season.
âSheâs done it before,â Voisard said. âBut it only happens if itâs early enough and her hormones can reset.â
Jackie and Shadow have chicks that are able to leave their nest on their own, known as âfledglings,â a little less than half the time.
In recent years, Jackie and Shadowâs chicks have struck out on their own in 2019, 2022 and 2025.
Voisard and the other volunteers know better than most that nature is unsentimental and that eggs get devoured by predators or chicks might not make it to adulthood. But that doesnât make it not hurt.
âYou feel the emotions, youâre sad for them, youâre sad for yourself, youâre sad for all the people who are connected to them, but at the same time, youâre hopeful that life keeps going and finds a way,â Voisard said. âJackie and Shadow, no matter what happens, they keep moving forward and find a way.
âWeâre sad, but weâre optimistic and happy we can see whatever we get to see, because Jackie and Shadow are so special.â