Somewhere high in the mountains of Big Bear, California, a pair of bald eagles has done something few wildlife stories manage — they’ve captured the hearts of millions of people who tune in, day after day, to watch them build a nest, raise their young, and navigate loss.
Their names are Jackie and Shadow, and their lives play out in real time through a livestream nest camera operated by a local nonprofit called Friends of Big Bear Valley. With approximately 1.2 million followers on Facebook and over 740,000 subscribers on YouTube, this eagle couple has amassed an audience that rivals some of the most popular nature channels in the country — and they’ve done it simply by being eagles.
Jackie’s story begins well before the cameras started rolling. The eagle population in Big Bear dates back to at least 2009, when a tagged male eagle remained in the area year-round instead of migrating. A breeding pair later formed and built a nest near the north side of the lake. That pair, named Ricky and Lucy by the U.S. Forest Service, hatched Jackie in 2012.
Friends of Big Bear Valley installed a nest camera in October 2015, with an additional camera added in 2021, giving viewers an intimate, unfiltered look at the daily life of these raptors. Jackie later returned to the nesting area and paired with a male known as Mr. B. Together, the pair produced offspring including BBB (Big Bear Baby) and Stormy. BBB died during severe weather, while Stormy survived.
Then in 2018, an adult male eagle later named Shadow displaced Mr. B. and formed a new pair with Jackie. Jackie and Shadow have nested together for eight years and raised eaglets including Sunny and Gizmo in 2024.
Jenny Voisard, media and website manager for Friends of Big Bear Valley, described Jackie’s personality to the Los Angeles Times in March 2026 with unmistakable admiration.
“There’s so many different sides to Jackie,” Voisard said. “She’s fierce, she’s gentle, she’s demanding. She’s nurturing. She’s a mother. She’s a warrior.”
As for Shadow, he’s “very protective. He’s also very giving and generous. He doesn’t give up easily and he’s a very attentive father.”
The early months of 2026 brought pain and loss for both the eagles and the community that watches over them.
In late January 2026, Jackie and Shadow’s eggs were eaten by ravens after the nest was left unattended, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley. The incident occurred after thousands of viewers had been watching the pair prepare their nest via livestream. For an audience deeply invested in the eagles’ journey, it was a devastating blow.
Then came an even deeper loss for the organization itself. In February 2026, Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, died at age 73 following a private battle with cancer. Steers had been a guiding force behind the nonprofit’s conservation work and its efforts to bring the eagles’ story to a global audience.
Facebook posts announcing the loss of Steers and the eggs received more than 12,000 comments — a testament to the deep emotional connection the community has built around this project.
“Her stories just were so calming,” Voisard told the Los Angeles Times. “[They] would just bring you to the nest.”
But as nature often does, it offered a second chance. Following the loss of their eggs earlier in the year, Jackie and Shadow resumed nest-building behavior and mating, according to observations documented by the nonprofit. In late February, Jackie laid a new egg, followed by a second egg days later. A Facebook announcement of the new egg received approximately 69,000 likes.
Jackie and Shadow’s nesting activity is broadcast live, with tens of thousands of viewers tuning in simultaneously during key moments — a remarkable level of engagement for a wildlife livestream.
One of the most pressing challenges facing Jackie and Shadow’s habitat is a proposed development near their nesting area. San Bernardino County approved a 50-home development project known as Moon Camp in September despite objections from Friends of Big Bear Valley.
In response, the nonprofit has launched a $10 million fundraising effort to purchase the land and protect it from development. For the organization’s supporters — many of whom first discovered Big Bear’s eagles through the livestream — the campaign represents a tangible way to safeguard the environment that Jackie, Shadow, and future generations of eagles depend on.
