Pip Watch 2025: Jackie and Shadow’s Third Egg Is Hatching

On March 6 at 10:21 PST, a pip became visible in the final remaining bald-eagle egg in Jackie and Shadow’s Big Bear nest, confirming pip watch is underway for the third eaglet! Below, everything you need to know to keep up with the FFF (First Flying Family).

Meet the family

March 4, 2025: A young, growing family opening up their home to a camera crew is nothing new, but Jackie and Shadow of the San Bernardino Mountains have an “It” factor the likes of which hasn’t graced our screens in recent memory. It may be that they are majestic bald eagles, representing freedom and the promise of new hope in a dark time, or maybe they just know how to serve face to cam. Their forever home (nest) is perched 145 feet up in a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake, where a 24/7 livestream captures their every call. Over the past 24 hours, they welcomed not one but two eaglets to their nest, each weighing about three ounces, as they continue to watch closely over the third egg. Jackie laid the eggs in late January, and on March 2, the first crack appeared in one of the eggs, officially kicking off Pip Watch 2025. The second egg followed suit on March 3, and the online community watched in rapt anticipation as the chicks slowly chipped away at their encasings over the next day.

The bundles of joy come after a rough couple of years for Jackie and Shadow. In 2023, their eggs were eaten by ravens, and last winter, all three of their eggs failed to hatch after a season of rough conditions. But things are looking up for the expanding family — it’s a beautiful day in Big Bear, and the two barely day-old siblings are staying warm under their parents’ plumes as Jackie and Shadow take turns leaving the nest on various errands. The four eagles and nearly 80,000 viewers on the stream eagerly anticipate a pip in the third egg, which was laid a few days after those of its nascent siblings.

Vulture staffers and X users agree — the livestream is the best reality show available right now. The stunning natural scenery in the background paired with the sound of the breeze and local wildlife create a peaceful, natural ambience to keep on a second screen. Meanwhile, the burgeoning family in the foreground give unmissable thrills throughout the day: Jackie and Shadow making their respective trips in and out of the nest, delivering food and prey or other materials, and frequent feedings of the newborn chicks nestled underneath. Feeding can be a challenge as the chicks learn to hold their heads up (they are sometimes known as bobbleheads early on, before they stabilize). In the coming days, as we await the third eaglet’s arrival, we may also see some sibling rivalry emerge, known as “bonking,” as the birds establish a pecking order. The Big Bear Valley being a rich source of food and resources for the family, fans hope any bonking will subside quickly as the chicks grow and a beautiful sibling-hood will emerge. Of course, we’re all keeping our fingers crossed for a spin-off in Miami when the chicks fly the coop, and when the day comes, we hope the birds will have studied the work of their forebears and will reintroduce some bonking for the sake of plot.

Pip Watch 2025

March 7, 2025: It’s been about 25 hours since the final egg’s pip appeared, and the pip site has steadily grown larger. It can take a day or more for a chick to emerge from its shell, so the overall vibe in the chat is eager extended family in the waiting room pacing around with clenched hands. Meanwhile, chicks 1 and 2, which are three and four days old respectively, have been making frequent appearances on the stream for feeding, pooping, bobbling and wobbling around, bonking each other, and chirping for their fans.

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