Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow return after leaving nest due to fireworks; Sunny and Gizmo still missing

After vacating the nest during Independence Day fireworks celebrations, Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow have returned home.  

Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), which operates a live feed of the eagles’ nest and provides the public with information surrounding their lives, posted on social media on Saturday that both Jackie and Shadow left the nest just a minute after a fireworks show began in the area. 

“At about 9 p.m. when some booms started, one of the eagles was no longer visible on the roost tree and was seen by our security camera flying away,” FOBBV’s Saturday post reads. “Jackie made a peal call – a call emitted as a warning about danger – and a couple other short calls from nearby.” 

By the time the full fireworks display started around 9:17 p.m., the eagle couple were gone within 60 seconds, FOBBV said. 

By Saturday morning, they had not returned. It wasn’t until that evening until one of the adults made a flyby around 5:30 p.m. and just after 7 p.m., Shadow landed in the tree, followed by Jackie seven minutes later.

The status of their chicks, Sunny and Gizmo, is not as certain. 

“One of our greatest concerns was for Sunny and Gizmo, who fledged in early June, as they had not been exposed to loud noises for a long period of time and there was a possibility the fireworks might scare them off if they are still in the habitat,” FOBBV said Sunday. “It’s a wait-and-see as it is still uncertain if they remain in the Big Bear area, but along with these youngsters, there was also concern for all wildlife as well.”

At this time of year, there are “many visiting feathered friends” in the Big Bear area, including a red-tailed hawk who used Jackie and Shadow’s “basement” in their favorite roost tree as an observation post throughout last week. However, Jackie and Shadow are the only known nesting pair of bald eagles who have been in the area year-round since 2018, FOBBV says.  

The birds have an affinity for several different trees throughout Big Bear Valley, but the one they built their main nest in is a 145-foot Jeffrey Pine near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Frequently asked questions and more information on Jackie, Shadow, their chicks and their habitat can be found here.