Tens of thousands of people have been glued to a live cam of Big Bear’s celebrity bald eagle family, comprising mom Jackie, dad Shadow, and newly-hatched eaglets Sunny and Gizmo. After the eaglets hatched in March, we cried after the third chick died in a snowstorm, and then watched the remaining two fluffballs grow into nearly full-grown birds exploring their independence. As Sunny and Gizmo hit 9 weeks old, they’re likely to start flying this month. Here’s what to expect on the live cam, plus a few common questions answered.
When will Sunny and Gizmo start flying?
Bald eagle chicks are usually ready to fly around 10-12 weeks of age, according to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. As both Sunny and Gizmo turn 9 weeks old this week, we’re likely to see them both flying this month.
Until then, you can tune in to the live cam to see them “branching,” or taking short hops/flights between branches in the nest tree, and strengthening their wing muscles by wing-flapping.
How long will they stay at the nest?
At 12-16 weeks of age, bald eaglets usually hone their flight skills and start to learn to hunt and forage. During this time, however, parents Jackie and Shadow will continue to feed them. You can look for this behavior in May and June.
The eaglets will be self-sufficient by 17-23 weeks old (July–August), at which point they will likely migrate away from the nest. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, juvenile bald eagles in California are likely to rapidly migrate hundreds of miles to northern and western Canada before returning to California several months later.
Some resident breeding bald eagle couples, like Jackie and Shadow, stay in California year-round. Matriarch Jackie was incidentally hatched in Big Bear back in 2012, and has stayed at the nest since 2017. Shadow joined her in 2018.
When will Sunny and Gizmo go “bald?”
Both Sunny and Gizmo are nearing full adult size and will be “fully feathered” by the time they take flight. However, they will not develop the characteristic white head and tail feathers for another 4-5 years.