Watch the Big Bear Eagle Cam Live
Watch the Big Bear Eagle cam live from Big Bear Lake, California. Follow Shadow, Kaydee (KD1), and the latest activity at the bald eagle nest with close-up and wide-angle live views.
The Big Bear eagle cams provide two different views of the nest and surrounding territory. Cam 1 offers a closer look at the nest, while Cam 2 shows a wider view of the trees, weather, and activity around Big Bear Lake.
Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam 1 Live
Big Bear Eagle Wide Angle Cam 2 Live
Current Big Bear Eagle Update
Shadow remains active around the Big Bear territory, and Kaydee, the younger banded eagle previously known as KD1, has continued spending time near him. Raptor biologist Pete Bloom says their recent nest activity, including Kaydee moving sticks and preening Shadow, suggests the two are forming a pair bond.
Latest Big Bear Eagle Nest Updates
Jackie & Shadow history
Breeding season usually starts in the fall, with courtship flights and stick-carrying in October and November.
Read more
The eagles typically lay eggs in late January. Incubation, hatching, and early chick rearing run through late winter and early spring.
Over the years, Jackie and Shadow have become fan favorites as viewers watch them overcome storms, snow, heat, and the occasional raven or intruding eagle. Their nest sits more than a mile above sea level in the San Bernardino Mountains. Here, changing weather at Big Bear Lake can bring bright sunshine one day and heavy snow the next. That dramatic setting makes every visit to the Big Bear Eagle cam a little different. You may see calm sunrise lake views or intense wind and snow events that test the nest.
Egg-Laying Dates
2018–2019 Mar 6, Mar 9
2019–2020 Jan 8, Jan 11
2020–2021 Jan 6, Jan 9, Jan 13 · Feb 8, Feb 11
2021–2022 Jan 22, Jan 25
2022–2023 Jan 11, Jan 14
2023–2024 Jan 25, Jan 28, Jan 31
2024–2025 Jan 22, Jan 25, Jan 28
2025-2026 Jan 23 – two fledged, Sandy and Luna
The live camera feeds are provided by Friends of Big Bear Valley, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the eagles and their habitat. To learn more, read nest updates, or make a donation that helps keep the cameras running. This also supports local conservation, visit friendsofbigbearvalley.org.
Use the wide-angle view to watch the surrounding forest and weather over Big Bear Lake. Switch to the nest view for a close-up look at Shadow and the latest activity at the bald eagle nest. Depending on the season, viewers may see courtship, nest building, egg turning, feeding, eaglet growth, territorial visits, and nighttime activity under infrared lights. Whether you drop in for a quick check or follow the nest throughout the year, the Big Bear Eagle cams offer a front-row view of the changing activity in Shadow’s territory while preserving the remarkable history of Jackie and Shadow.
FAQ
Who are the eagles on the Big Bear Eagle cam?
Jackie and Shadow were the beloved bald eagle pair associated with the Big Bear nest for many years. After Jackie died in August 2026, Shadow continued using the territory and nest. A younger banded eagle known as KD1, now named Kaydee, has since been spending increasing amounts of time around Shadow, including visits to the nest.
Where can I watch the Big Bear Eagle cam live?
You can watch the Big Bear Eagle cam live right here from Big Bear Lake, California. The live cameras provide close-up and wide-angle views of the bald eagle nest, where viewers can follow Shadow and the latest activity around the Big Bear territory throughout the year.
What is the difference between Big Bear Eagle Cam 1 and Cam 2?
Big Bear Eagle Cam 1 provides a closer view of the nest, making it easier to watch the eagles, eggs, eaglets, feeding, and nest activity. Cam 2 offers a wider view of the nest area, surrounding trees, weather, and the landscape around Big Bear Lake.
When do the Big Bear eagles usually lay eggs?
Egg laying at the Big Bear bald eagle nest usually takes place during the winter. In recent seasons, eggs have often been laid in January, although the exact timing can vary from year to year.
What can I see on the Big Bear live eagle cams?
Depending on the season, you may see nest building, courtship, egg laying, incubation, hatching, feeding, eaglet growth, flying practice, territorial behavior, and visits from other birds. The wide-angle Big Bear Eagle cam can also provide dramatic views of snow, wind, changing weather, and the surrounding forest.
Where is the Big Bear Eagle nest located?
The nest is located near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. The nest sits at a high elevation, where changing mountain weather can bring sunshine, wind, snow, and cold temperatures during the nesting season.
Who is Kaydee (KD1) at the Big Bear Eagle nest?
Kaydee is a banded bald eagle previously known as KD1. She was banded as a young eagle in Southern California in 2022 and began spending time around Shadow and the Big Bear territory in August 2026.
Are Shadow and Kaydee a pair?
Not officially. Raptor biologist Pete Bloom says Shadow and Kaydee appear to be forming a pair bond and believes it is highly likely they will be a pair by the time nesting begins around December.
Latest Big Bear Comments On Posts:
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She is a bonafied clout chaser. Read more
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Jackie's spirit is in kaydee, we are all being healed Jackie lives on. Read more
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How are Shadow's kids doing lately? I know they are way too young to have mate yet. Read more
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What happened to the two eagle kids? I've been away and need to catch up on this beloved family. Read more
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Hey, back off. I lost my first wife, mother of our 2 sons and one 2 year old daughter to cancer. I d… Read more
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Only one way to find out, and that ain’t by questioning either one. Kind of like humans in that resp… Read more
Thank you MaryNJ. It’s been tough and when I saw the the video of Jackie and the fight with the sub-eagles and her paddling herself in the water just broke my heart. I prayed for her to get well. The care team took amazing care of her and really tried to bring her back to good health so she could return to Shadow. I guess the powers-to-be had other plans for her in her next life. I loved Jackie and the way she raised her little ones. This year especially. Sandy and Luna mimic Shadow and Jackie to a tee.… Read more »
It was so saddened to see sweet Jackie struggle in water, and with other eagles on the ground. Still 😢 and missing you sweetheart. You are at peace and out of pain.
i know you are watching over Shadow and you babies.
love ❤️ And hugs.
I cry every day for Jackie. Not only did we lose beautiful loving Jackie but on July 17th I laid my dog down to rest and on Jan. 27th I laid my cat down to rest. I’m just overwhelmed, it’s hard knowing I won’t see her anymore.
💗
So sorry to to hear about your cat and dog, jerseygirl. 😢
Oh how sad I am so sorry for your double loss. I’ve been thru pet losses and it’s heartbreaking 💔 Chin up girl, you will get thru it
Oh I am so sorry. You lost 2 of your furbabies in July? I’m really sorry Jerseygirl.
Well looks like Shadow is going to move on, knowing that after almost a month that his love is not returning, he has accepted another eagle to keep company with and that means we also have to move on and be happy for him on whomever he chooses to have another family with. We will welcome another female to the nest and we will pray that they keep this spot and make it their home so we can enjoy more years of babies. I for one wish them nothing but the best for a life together. Good luck Shadow and… Read more »
Shadow, we are behind you with our love ❤️ and hugs. The best always for you dear Shadow.
Absolutely, bozsmom. Wishing the best for Shadow and whomever he settles down with.
Will we ever get used to not using the name Jackie with Shadow????
just wishing for his happiness. Glad he has a friend.
I think about that alot!!
🤔
It didn’t take a long time for us to get used to M-15 and F-23 in Florida.
Going to take a lot of getting use to.., normal for wildlife to make a change… Jackie& Shadow we’re so tuned into each other..hard to think of another eagle, but if he accepted the new one and is happy with her … that is good…
🤗🦅
😄
A little bit about KD1 and where she came from. She’ll be 5 years old in March of 2027.
That was very interesting Mary, thank you.
Video of Shadow and KD1 on the nest. Shadow was looking all around. Kind of ignoring KD1. KD1 was digging in the nest and she offered him something from the nest (which he didn’t take) and she preened his feathers. In response, he called out (for Jackie?) and then moved away from KD1. He was gazing out over the lake for a while. In the end, they were perched on the same branch of a tree in the distance.
The human in me is glad at this point that Shadow is giving the new female the cold shoulder. To me it shows the strength of his bond with Jackie. But that same human doesn’t want it to last very long because we know Jackie isn’t coming home. I want Shadow to have a mate, a happy new life, eggs, hatchlings, fledgling.
I thought about Jackie this morning watching an informational tv show. The doctor panelist made the statement, anemia is not a diagnosis but is a symptom.
Hello Debbie,
sweet Shadow. So difficult. We just want his happiness.
Of course we do. But, we want to continue seeing Shadow and new babies.
Oh yes Debbie. New babies and seeing lots of Shadow. That would be wonderful!!!
I think it will happen. Shadow certainly didn’t chase away this new eagle.
They say that Shadow will tolerate other eagles in the nest area right now because it isn’t nesting season yet. In this video, it’s clear that she is trying to demonstrate to him that she would be a good mate. Don’t know if he’ll choose her or some other already mature female in the area. The experts say that he will probably won’t choose another mate until his hormones kick in, In December or January. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Yes, that’s why they were trying to find out what caused the anemia.
It will be an interesting story to watch.
It sure will, Debbie. I think he’ll stay at BB. Just like M15, this nest is his territory. Lots of fish, good shelter from the elements (lots of trees), and secure location (isolation from humans up in the hilltop). If he chooses KD1, she’s going to have a little learning curve the first year, but with him as an experienced dad, he’ll help her. More problems can occur when both adults have just matured (both inexperienced), like what happened at a nest in Kisatchie and not enough food was brought to the nest (siblicide). It’s good that a lot of… Read more »
When M-15 was a first year Dad he wasn’t a very good provider either. It was my first season of watching ANY nest, and I came in about the time the eggs hatched. Even as a very newbie, I thought he was inexperienced. I don’t think I even knew about Ozzie I was so new. But I kept my mouth shut because I knew I really knew nothing. The bonking that year was really bad, but I thought it was just normal because I was new. No, it was probably that the food supply was not its best. M’s second… Read more »
I wasn’t watching M15 when he first arrived, so Harriet must have been teaching him? Yes, not many branches left for the young ones to practice branching, but the nest is already established in that tree and there’s some advantages. The pond with fish and water for bathing is close by. Lots of fish in the nearby river too. The land below is protected because it’s private property, so it’s secure from humans. I hope that the nest holds out because one of the main branches is cracked. The Pritchetts are good about maintaining the cameras, so I would assume… Read more »
M-15, F-23 and Little E , my very fist eagle family site to watch. Always dear to my heart.
Mine too, the same year M was a newbie!
so sweet, Debbie. When M was a newbie!!!! It will be good to see M again. You’ve been watching that site how many years??? You helped me learn !!!!
I started in early 2016 but didn’t watch a lot until 2017. I don’t know how I helped you learn I don’t know much! But I do know you made it more fun when you joined in.
thank you!!!
You’re welcome, redroses.
Thanks Mary. I assume the female just got something on her head feathers?
You’re welcome, Debbie. I think the brown spot is likely feathers that haven’t turned white yet. That spot has been there for days and she isn’t a mature adult yet. She won’t be mature/5 years old until next March, and by then her head should be pretty much all white.
Thanks for the info Mary.
Here’s a photo from yesterday showing her head. It looks like she still has brown feathers here and there.
I think you are right. At first I thought it looked like some kind of grease. Why do you suppose they don’t try to sex baby eaglets they band? I know they can do it with a small amount of blood and I suppose a blood feather would do. Quick and little trauma. I suppose they aren’t interested in that for research. But seems they would be. Like study any differences between the sexes in early development.
At Duke, they determine the sex by body size and measurements of certain areas of the body when they band the eaglets there. I’ve included an interesting website about DNA testing in raptors (below). It explains why breeders, rehab facilities, and other raptor training facilities request DNA tests. Apparently they use feathers for the DNA test for raptors (or a toenail clip if juvenile feathers have not grown in yet). It doesn’t look expensive. One site said $22.00 just for the gender test, and then add the cost to ship the sample to a lab. However, I don’t think that… Read more »
I guess then their research wanted the banding for their research but the gender was not important to them. Seems it would have been cheap and easy and interesting to know if migration for the sexes different. But they know their purpose. If KD1 stays around they will eventually know the sex. We never found out the sex of our Amazon. When we first got him, the only way to know was to cut a slit in the abdomen and insert a scope and view the organs! We were not going to do that for our curiosity, even tho they… Read more »
Oh my, I wouldn’t want the bird cut open for that either. When I got my parakeets, I didn’t know their sex because they had the same color cere that all baby parakeets have. It wasn’t until months later, that the cere color changed and I could see that they were both males. If I had wanted the two of them to have baby parakeets, I guess a DNA test would be best.
Yes lots of breeders had their birds sexed at the fairs. It was set up to do one bird after another and the cost was low. I could see through the door to the room birds were being sexed. My first bird was a little parakeet we had 12.5 years. Oh I remember I already told you that. Sorry.
😀
Thank you Debbie for the information. I enjoy hearing about your birds!!! I would not want a cut in the abdomen to find out the gender….
It takes a tiny snip, but I wouldn’t do it if it was only anesthesia, not unless there was a good reason.
Thank you for the information Mary, you’re conversing with Debbie provides very interesting information!!!
You’re welcome, Lisa. 😀
😊 thanks!! And you are welcome!!!!