Big Bear Eagle Cam: Sunny and Gizmo Leave the Nest

Few livestreams capture the quiet drama of the wild like the Big Bear eagle cam. For months, viewers watched Jackie and Shadow incubate eggs, feed their chicks, and eventually watch two of them — Sunny and Gizmo — take their first flights.

Daily nest cam viewers: Over 16,000 concurrent on Cam 1 ·
Known eagle pair: Jackie and Shadow ·
2025 eaglets: Sunny and Gizmo (2 of 3 eggs hatched) ·
Camera install year: 2015 (Cam 1), 2021 (Cam 2)

Six key details define the Big Bear eagle cam setup.

Did Sunny and Gizmo leave the nest?

When did Gizmo take the first flight?

Gizmo, the second of the two surviving chicks, left the nest in early May 2025, according to the Friends of Big Bear Valley. Sunny had already made her first flight a few days earlier. Both fledged after spending about 12 weeks in the nest — the typical duration for bald eagle chicks.

• Sunny’s first flight was reported on April 30, 2025 (FOBBV 2025 update with Sandy Steers)
• Gizmo followed on May 3, 2025 (Big Bear Lake tourism blog)

Are Sunny and Gizmo flying yet?

Yes — both eaglets have been observed making short flights around the nest area, and they return regularly for feedings from Jackie and Shadow. The Eagle Log maintained by Friends of Big Bear Valley records daily sightings, including perching on nearby pines and exercising their wings.

The pattern: Once young eagles fledge, they continue to rely on parents for 4–6 weeks, so the Big Bear cam will remain busy well into June.

What kind of camera is on the eagle nest in Big Bear?

Who installed the cameras?

Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) installed the first camera in the fall of 2015, and the first eagle nesting season was captured in 2017 (Big Bear Lake tourism blog). A second, wide-view camera was added in 2021 to show the surrounding habitat and the trees where Jackie and Shadow perch when not on the nest.

Are the cameras safe for wildlife?

FOBBV designed the camera mounts to be non-intrusive — they are installed on a nearby tree, not on the nest itself, and use wireless transmission to avoid disturbing the eagles. The official site states that the cameras are “wildlife-safe” and have been checked by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (tier1 review).

“We wanted people to see eagles without impacting their natural behavior.”

— Sandy Steers, bald eagle specialist, FOBBV (2025 update video)

Why this matters: The longevity of the camera system — now over a decade — suggests the design works. No nest abandonment has been linked to the equipment.

Did Shadow and Jackie lose a baby?

How many eggs did Jackie lay?

Jackie laid three eggs in the 2025 season, a typical clutch size for bald eagles (Big Bear Lake tourism blog). The eggs were spaced a few days apart, which is normal.

What happened to the third eaglet?

The third chick did not survive. According to the FOBBV 2025 update, the egg failed to hatch or the chick died shortly after hatching due to natural causes — likely malnutrition or a genetic defect. This outcome, while sad for viewers, is common in the wild, where about 50% of bald eagle eggs may not produce a fledgling.

What this means: The survival of two out of three chicks is actually a good season for Jackie and Shadow — better than average for bald eagles in the wild.

What bird annoys an eagle?

Live stream viewers frequently see crows and ravens mobbing Jackie and Shadow as they approach the nest. This behavior, known as mobbing, is instinctive: corvids (crows and ravens) often harass larger raptors to drive them away from territory or food. Anecdotal reports from the FOBBV live stream chat confirm that ravens are the most persistent offenders at Big Bear.

Which bird can defeat an eagle?

No single bird regularly defeats an adult bald eagle in a fight. However, ravens are known to strike from above — a tactic that exploits the eagle’s blind spot. This is not a defeat but a nuisance; the eagle typically ignores the mobbing or changes direction.

Who is the bald eagle’s biggest enemy?

Aside from human threats (power lines, lead poisoning, habitat loss), the bald eagle’s main natural adversaries are larger eagles (e.g., golden eagles) and, at the nest, corvids that steal eggs or small chicks. The Big Bear tourism blog notes that crows are common around the lake and often interact with the nest.

The trade-off: While annoying, mobbing rarely causes physical harm. It’s more a testament to the eagle’s dominance — corvids expend energy warning others that a predator is near.

What happened to the third bald eagle chick in Big Bear?

As detailed earlier, the third egg of the 2025 clutch did not produce a surviving chick. The FOBBV update video does not give an exact date of loss, but notes that by late March only two chicks were visible. The nest log from Friends of Big Bear Valley records that Jackie removed the unhatched egg or deceased chick from the nest.

Natural causes — ranging from infertility to chilling or insufficient feeding — are typical. In 2024, Jackie and Shadow also lost one of two eggs.

“Each season is different. We just document what we see.”

— FOBBV volunteer, via FOBBV CAM YouTube channel

The implication: The loss, while disappointing, doesn’t indicate anything wrong with the nest or parents. Jackie and Shadow remain a healthy, productive pair.

For those interested in how the bald eagle stacks up against other raptors, bald eagle comparisons offer fascinating insights into size and behavior.

Frequently asked questions

For the Big Bear Valley community, the success of Sunny and Gizmo’s first flights is a reminder that even the most watched nest is still wild. The cameras may stream 24/7, but the outcome is never guaranteed — and that’s precisely what keeps viewers coming back. For anyone curious about bald eagle behavior or just looking for a calming live feed, the Big Bear eagle cam remains one of the best windows into nature’s cycle.

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