Proud bald eagle parents Jackie and Shadow welcomed a third chick to their feathered family Saturday morning, days after two hatchlings made their debut.
Movement was spotted in the third egg via livestream on Thursday as the days-old hatchlings nestled in their snowy Big Bear nest. The triplet poked through its shell and was mostly visible just after 2 a.m. Saturday. It had fully emerged by 6:13 a.m., just in time for food.
The third bald eagle chick poked through its shell and was mostly visible just after 2 a.m. Saturday. Its siblings hatched a few days earlier.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley)
“All three beautiful bundles of fluff were fully visible, sitting up and ready for breakfast,” Friends of Big Bear Valley shared on its Facebook page. “They all look dry, healthy and full of energy. As they jostle around for positioning, the newest one will have plenty of food still from its yolk for a few days.”
The nonprofit conservation group operates a 24-hour webcam trained on the eagles’ nest overlooking Big Bear Lake and has closely monitored the avian couple for a decade. Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, said that the livestream has recently seen record viewership.
Thousands of people have followed the eagles’ parenting journey and were buoyed by Saturday’s good news, which follows years of disappointment.
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In 2023, the eagles’ eggs were eaten by ravens. Last year, severe cold weather prevented another trio of eggs from hatching.
Jackie and Shadow have diligently tended to their chicks, trading off feeding and sleeping times while protecting them from the elements.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
