Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow lose both eggs after raven attack

Devastating news for Jackie and Shadow

Jackie and Shadow lost their eggs after they were attacked by a raven, officials said. 

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. - Fans who have been following the famous Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow received devastating news.

What we know:

On Friday, Jan. 23, the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley announced Jackie laid her first egg of the year. She delivered a second egg two days later.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Big Bear bald eagle live cam: Jackie and Shadow welcome first two eggs of 2026

On Friday, Jan. 31, the nonprofit provided a grim update after heartbreaking video footage showed a raven attacking the nest and cracking both eggs while Jackie and Shadow were away.

"We will never know why, but we are sure they had their reasons as they have been incubating the eggs faithfully," Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote. "After they left the nest, we observed one of the eggs looked like it had broken. With a camera zoom, we were able to confirm this. It is possible Jackie and Shadow sensed something was wrong with the egg. They could have also been protecting their territory as many other bald eagles have been seen in the valley recently."

The nonprofit went on to explain, "There is a possibility Jackie might lay a 2nd clutch of eggs since these were lost early on and we are still early in the season, but there is no guarantee. Jackie and Shadow will need to move on from incubating first. It generally takes a month for a female’s body to recover and be ready to lay eggs again."

The nonprofit is also asking for kindness as the team works through what it described as a devastating time.

The loss comes after the pair lost a chick last winter following the births of eagles Sunny and Gizmo.

RELATED: Big Bear bald eagles live cam: Sunny and Gizmo are 'winging'

Dig deeper:

Viewers can follow the journey in real-time by tuning into the Friends of Big Bear Valley 24/7 livestream on YouTube.

To support the preservation of the habitat and the maintenance of the camera equipment, you can visit the nonprofit’s official website to make a donation or learn more about bald eagle conservation in the San Bernardino National Forest.