Eagles Jackie and Shadow Missing One of Three Chicks

Bald eagles Jackie and Shadow have captured the hearts of millions after successfully hatching a trio eaglets in March.

Three eaglets hatched last week as snow and wind battered the San Bernardino Mountains.

However, as viewers tuned into the Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest on March 14, sadness set in as only two of the eaglets were visible in the nest.

"During the first feeding session today only two chicks were visible," Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs the 24/7 live cam, wrote in a statement.

"We cannot see the entire nest bowl because the view remains partially obstructed by snow. We are observers of nature and do not know the entirety of the current situation," the statement continued.

A moderator of the livestream chimed in, writing, "We are viewing the everyday life of Bald Eagles."

Watch Jackie and Shadow's Nest Livestream

Sandy Steers, executive director of the Friends of Big Bear Valley, told KTLA that due to weather conditions and snow blocking parts of the camera, they cannot definitively determine the current status of the missing eaglet.

"We don’t know anything yet and we can’t confirm anything. We don’t know exactly what the situation is. We’ll have to wait and see. We just have to watch and observe nature, and know that it knows what it’s doing," she told the local news outlet.

"And Jackie and Shadow know how to handle whatever the situation is … We just have to know that everything will work out the way it's meant to," she added.

Weather is one of the biggest hurdles eaglets must overcome to survive.

According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, "only 50 percent of bald eagle eggs successfully hatch and 70 percent survive their first year."

In 2024, Jackie and Shadow’s trio of eggs failed to hatch. In 2023, ravens ate their eggs.