Concern over Jackie and Shadow’s lacking third eaglet

USA, Featured8 hours ago3 Views

Some potential unhappy information from the wild kingdom: the bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow, who’ve turn into on-line stars, might have misplaced one in every of their three eaglets amid a snowstorm.

Final week, viewers bought to witness the arrival of three eaglets – the primary eaglet chick rising from its shell early Monday and the third chick on Saturday inside their nest in Massive Bear Valley within the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.

This was massive information for the group of followers following Jackie and Shadow, who’ve been stars on the Massive Bear Eagle Nest Cam, arrange in 2016 by the Buddies of Massive Bear Valley (FBBV). That is as a result of the couple had misplaced eggs in 2023 and 2024.

Bald eagle chick issues: ‘The place is the third child?’

After a number of days of pleasure on the late arrival of the third chick, followers turned involved Friday morning when solely two chicks had been seen throughout a morning feeding.

“I am sitting right here horrified, the place is the third child?” posted one viewer on Instagram. Many others posted feedback on Instagram and within the chat channel on the YouTube web page internet hosting the webcam.

Nonetheless, the flock of followers is making an attempt to stay hopeful. “Nothing has been confirmed and there’s a massive portion of the nest bowl space that’s out of view of the digicam because of the snow berm alongside the sting,” Buddies of Massive Bear Valley Govt Director Sandy Steers instructed USA TODAY in an e-mail.

“So, we can’t see that space or know what is occurring. Sure, it potential that the chick is simply hidden in that out of view portion,” Steers mentioned.

Snow masking the highest of the nest makes it exhausting to see the nest’s inside closest to the webcam. The nest, which is about 145 toes excessive in a Jeffrey Pine tree, might be seen gently swaying within the wind late Friday morning as Shadow rested defending the chicks from the chilly.

Steers advised followers preserve the religion. “We’ll bear in mind to deal with issues the way in which Jackie and Shadow do, one second at a time and shifting ahead with no matter exhibits up in every second,” she mentioned.