The internet knows her as Jackie. The veterinary team at the Ojai Raptor Center knows her as Adult Bald Eagle 26-5-19. Either way, she is currently under care in Southern California, and millions are watching with held breath.
Found weak and unable to fly by the San Dimas Raptor Rescue on July 18, the bird has been transferred to Ojai. Her status is precarious but not hopeless. She is alert. She is perching. With assistance, she is even eating. That is a start.
The problem? We don’t know why she collapsed. Wildlife medicine lacks the luxury of patient histories. Domestic animals have owners who can say, “He ate some rat poison yesterday.” Eagles don’t talk. They just fall out of the sky.
How do we know if it is Jackie?
Strictly speaking, it is an assumption. But a highly informed one. The timeline fits. The location fits. The bird is an adult bald eagle in the region where Jackie and her partner, Shadow, have been nesting and raising chicks.
Jackie and Shadow live in the San Bernardino National Forest. Their nest, located in Big Bear Valley east of Los Angeles, streams 24/7 on Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV). They are viral staples. Millions watch them. When one of the most famous raptors in the world suddenly goes missing or collapses, people notice.
Until bloodwork and toxicology tests return results, the Ojai team cannot confirm the diagnosis or rule out specific issues. Recovery depends on these unknowns. There is no predictable timeline. Just attentive, thorough care.
“Every case begins with many unknowns… Until we understand the full picture, we cant responsibly predict a timeline or outcome.” — Ojai Raptor Center
Why is Shadow still in the nest alone?
Jackie’s disappearance leaves her mate, Shadow, in charge of their current chicks: Sandy and Luna. The fledgling phase is dangerous. It is fragile. Shadow has to keep two young birds safe while they prepare to leave the nest.
The chicks, now named (following a naming contest that revealed they hatched on April 4 and 5), are in their third month. Usually, eaglets stay in the nest for 10 to 14 weeks. That window is closing.
Shadow is doing the work of two parents. He is maintaining the nest. He is protecting them from threats. Those threats include other birds of prey—hawks, ravens, owls, and yes, other eagles. Weather is another killer. In March 2025, a massive snowstorm with two feet of snow and high winds killed one of Jackie and Shadow’s previous chicks. They named the survivors Sunny and Gizmo after receiving 54,000 submissions from fans.
This time, it is just Sandy and Luna. And a stressed-out dad.
What are the survival odds for these eaglets?
Once the chicks fledge—flatten their wings and take flight—the danger multiplies. Only about 70 percent of bald eagles make it through this stage alive.
Why do so many die? Cars.
Fledglings are clumsy. They scavenge for food, often near roads. They hit pavement. They get injured or killed. It is a harsh reality of modern coexistence. Once they leave the nest, they may travel far. FOBBV has tracked fledglings from Southern California as far north as British Columbia and as far east as Yellowstone. Without tags, though, we can’t follow Jackie’s babies once they drop out of the sky.
Jackie’s history with survival is spotty. The pair got together in 2018. They raised chicks in 2019. They failed to hatch eggs in 2023. They lost eggs to ravens in January 2026 before successfully laying two new ones. In nature, the 50 percent hatch rate is standard. Jackie and Shadow have beaten the odds so far. Now they need to beat the fledging odds too.
Where can people help the Big Bear eagles?
There is a campaign to protect Jackie and Shadow’s foraging ground. Environmental groups are raising $10 million to prevent development from destroying the habitat. You can find details at SaveMoonCamp.org.
For the immediate medical crisis of the eagle likely to be Jackie, donations to the Ojai Raptor Center’s Bald Eagle recovery campaign are being accepted.
The nest cam remains active. Shadow is there. Sandy and Luna are there. If Jackie is stable, she will likely be released eventually. If not, the legacy of that specific female ends here. Either way, the nest continues. Nature doesn’t pause for sympathy. It just waits to see who makes it out.
Shadow is watching the sky. Are you?
