Jackie, the female American bald eagle at the Big Bear Valley nest near Big Bear Lake, California, died Aug. 10, 2026, at 14, The Associated Press reported. Her nesting with Shadow was followed online by many thousands of viewers.
Friends of Big Bear Valley organized and installed the first Big Bear bald-eagle nest camera, which began operating in October 2015. Its live view let audiences follow courtship, incubation, chick-rearing, failed attempts and natural losses over successive seasons. Jackie became an internet sensation and a symbol linked to bald-eagle recovery in California.
In 2019, Jackie and Shadow produced two chicks, Cookie and Simba. Cookie died on May 27, likely from dangerous cold exposure during a rain-and-snow storm with freezing temperatures. Simba made his first sustained flight from the nest on July 23. In 2022, Spirit hatched on March 3 and made his first sustained flight from the nest on May 31. The second egg did not hatch.
Three chicks hatched in 2025. Misty died during a multiday storm on March 13, while Sunny and Gizmo made their first flights on June 2 and June 7, respectively.
Two eaglets, Sandy and Luna, hatched in April 2026. They made their first sustained flights from the nest on June 28 and June 29, respectively.
