Ever since Big Bear eagle parents Jackie and Shadow hatched three eaglets back in March, thousands of viewers have tuned in to the Friends of Big Bear Valley live cam to see what’s going on in the nest—especially after one of the chicks sadly died in a snowstorm. Fortunately, the remaining two chicks are looking healthy at nearly nine weeks old. Just a month after local elementary students voted to name the chicks Sunny and Gizmo, the two eaglets are now getting ready to fly.
Sandy Steers, executive director of the Friends of Big Bear Valley, provides detailed updates about the eagles on Facebook nearly every day. In the latest news, Sunny and Gizmo are looking “bigger, flappier, hoppier, stompier.” The two eaglets are both flapping their now-massive wings to build their muscles and stomping around the nest bowl. If you tune in to the live cam, it’s not uncommon to see the two large eaglets spreading fluff around the nest, practicing standing on one foot, and snoozing in the sunshine.
“It’s great to see both Sunny and Gizmo getting more active and balanced,” wrote Sandy on Facebook. “With Sunny at almost 9 weeks old, fledging might come in another 2 or 3 weeks. We’ll keep watching!”
Friends of Big Bear Valley live cams
You can keep up with Sunny and Gizmo by watching the following live cams on YouTube. The nest is about 145 feet up a Jeffrey Pine Tree in Big Bear Valley.
Camera 1
This up-close camera angle will get you the best view of the bald eagle nest. It’s the main camera to catch all the action.
Camera 2
You can check a wide angle of the bald eagle nest via Camera 2, which is better for watching the eagles take flight.
What comes next for Sunny and Gizmo?
According to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, bald eagle chicks are usually ready to fly at around 10-12 weeks of age. During the weeks before fledging, you’ll see the eaglets “branching,” or taking short hops/flights between branches in the nest tree, and wing-flapping to strengthen their wing muscles.
At 12-16 weeks old, the eaglets practice their flight skills and begin to hunt and forage. However, adult eagles will continue providing food for their young during this stage. By 17-23 weeks old, the eaglets will be self-sufficient and will likely migrate away from the nest.
The eaglets will be “fully feathered” by the time they take flight, however, they will not develop the characteristic white head and tail feathers until they are 4-5 years old.