Big Bear Eagle Jackie Believed Rescued Injured After Fight With 2 Subadults

Q: With their mother injured, can a lone father eagle successfully raise two young chicks in the wild?

Yes—but only because these are no longer tiny nest-bound chicks. At this stage, a lone father eagle can sometimes keep two young alive in the wild, though it is much harder and the odds are less certain without the female. The key fact is timing. Sandy and Luna hatched in early April and made their first flights about three weeks ago, so they are fledglings, not newly hatched chicks. That means they need less brooding and constant nest attendance than younger eaglets. A male bald eagle is fully capable of feeding, guarding and guiding young birds; fathers routinely share all of those duties with the female. Even so, bald eagles normally raise young as a pair for a reason. Two parents make it easier to bring enough food, defend territory and respond to threats. With Jackie injured, Shadow must do all of that alone. That raises the risk of reduced feeding, slower development or lower survival if food becomes scarce or the young remain dependent longer than usual. The outlook is better because the young are already flying. Fledglings can begin following a parent, learning to hunt and gradually becoming less dependent. If Shadow remains healthy and food around Big Bear Lake is adequate, he has a realistic chance of getting both through this final stage. So the answer is that it is possible, but not guaranteed. Jackie’s absence makes survival more difficult, yet the chicks’ age gives Shadow a meaningful chance to finish the job on his own.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 20

Friends of Big Bear Valley said Sunday it now believes a rescued injured bald eagle is Jackie, the Big Bear mother missing from the nestcam for several days.
Thursday and Friday sightings showed the eagle on the ground, then in a brief fight with two subadult eagles; video showed it fending them off with its talons but unable to fly far.
San Dimas Raptor Rescue recovered the bird and Los Angeles County parks posted footage of a limping, bedraggled eagle in water along with images of treatment, though the group said identity and sex were not yet confirmed.
At the nest, Shadow has been guarding chicks Sandy and Luna alone since Jackie vanished; the pair's eaglets hatched in early April and took their first flights about three weeks ago.
Jackie and Shadow, Big Bear livestream favorites since taking over the nest in 2016, are also central to local opposition to the Moon Camp housing and marina project near their habitat.