Pips spotted! Live cam bald eagles’ eggs shows hopeful signs of hatching

Internet-famous bald eagles Jackie and Shadow might just have a hatchling on the horizon. The first pip–or crack in a bird’s eggshell–was confirmed at 3:09 p.m. PST on March 2. Bird enthusiasts from around the world cheered the announcement and tuned into the 24-hour livestream of the couple’s nest, perched 145-feet above Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino mountains east of Los Angeles, California. 

“Oh please come on out little one!!!! Your parents have been waiting for so long,” wrote one viewer on Facebook.

“The last 2 years brought me tears of sadness, today, happy tears!!” wrote another. 

Bird enthusiasts can continue to watch with the eagle nest cameras maintained by nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley on YouTube. Fans of Jackie and Shadow can also read daily recaps for more explanations of this process. 

According to Friends of Big Bear Valley, Jackie and Shadow’s previous chick Spirit pipped exactly 3 years ago. The eggs have many markings–including dirt, fluff, blood from laying, imperfections, and more. These are completely normal, but may make it difficult to spot pips.

“If you suspect a pip, keep an eye on that spot. A real pip grows over time and becomes a larger, more obvious Pip Site,” writes Friends of Big Bear Valley. 

The hatching process is long, so it still may take a few days for the hatchling to fully emerge. 

Jackie and Shadow got together in 2018 and successfully raised chicks in 2019 and 2022, including Spirit. However, in 2023, their clutch was eaten by ravens. The pair laid three eggs in 2024, but those eggs failed to hatch. Friends of Big Bear Valley’s team suspects that low oxygen levels and high altitude might be why the three eggs failed to hatch last year. The area also saw several winter storms, which could have impacted the eggs. Only 50 percent of bald eagle eggs successfully hatch.

UPDATE:

A second pip was confirmed on March 3 at 7:59 a.m. PST.