Big Bear’s beloved bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are facing heartbreak after both their eggs were destroyed by ravens while the pair was away from their nest.
According to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit organization that monitors the eagles, the attack occurred on Friday when both eagles left the nest unattended for several hours. When they departed, one egg already appeared to have a crack, suggesting the eagles may have sensed something was wrong.
“After they left the nest, we observed one of the eggs looked like it had broken,” the organization reported. “It is possible Jackie and Shadow sensed something was wrong with the egg. They could have also been protecting their territory as many other bald eagles have been seen in the valley recently.”
Ravens took advantage of the eagles’ absence and breached both eggs. When Jackie returned to the nest, she continued to incubate one of the damaged eggs, seemingly unaware of the extent of the damage.
The loss comes just days after Jackie laid the eggs – the first on January 23 and the second on January 26. Thousands of viewers have been following the pair’s nesting journey through a 24/7 livestream maintained by Friends of Big Bear Valley.
There may still be hope for a successful nesting season. According to FOX LA, Jackie might lay a second clutch of eggs since the loss occurred early in the season. However, the nonprofit cautions there are no guarantees.
“Jackie and Shadow will need to move on from incubating first. It generally takes a month for a female’s body to recover and be ready to lay eggs again,” Friends of Big Bear Valley explained.
In the days following the loss, the eagles have continued to display nesting behaviors. Shadow was observed moving eggshell pieces and covering them with nesting material, while both birds have spent time lying in the nest as their hormones still trigger incubation behaviors.
This setback follows another difficult season last year when the pair lost a chick after successfully hatching eaglets named Sunny and Gizmo.
Wildlife enthusiasts can continue to follow Jackie and Shadow’s journey through the 24/7 livestream on YouTube maintained by Friends of Big Bear Valley.
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