Fans feared the worst, then Big Bear’s Jackie flew back to the nest

Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAYMon, March 9, 2026 at 9:44 PM UTC

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Fans feared the worst, then Big Bear’s Jackie flew back to the nest

Jackie, the beloved California bald eagle, caused her fans quite a fright when she went missing for nearly 24 hours over the weekend, a nonprofit that monitors her nest camera wrote on social media.

The Friends of Big Bear Valley asked followers to keep "Jackie and Shadow in your hearts while they navigate this situation."

Jackie goes missing

According to the nonprofit, Jackie was observed in her nest in Big Bear Valley, about 111 miles from Los Angeles, at 11:44 a.m. on Friday, March 6, but was not seen for the remainder of the day.

After Jackie flew from the nest, Shadow cared for their two eggs in the afternoon and into the evening. He was observed leaving their home a few times, potentially to search for Jackie, the nonprofit said.

1 / 0See bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow and their life in the wild

Jackie and Shadow, the two viral bald eagles who call Southern California their home, pictured in their nest on Jan. 19, 2026. In a Facebook post, Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs 24/7 cameras and livestreams of the eagles and their habitat, said Jackie laid her first eggs of 2026 in the couple's nest inside the San Bernardino National Forest on Jan. 23, and again on Jan. 26. In February 2025, Jackie laid three eggs. At the time, both bald eagles were seen on video rotating shifts, sitting on the eggs and caring for one another. The couple is doing the same thing almost a year later.

"We know that this is upsetting and it is OK to feel how you need to feel," the nonprofit posted on Facebook on Saturday, March 7. "Try to avoid panicking. Try to stay calm and lean on each other. Love and positivity are the strongest powers that we have, so let’s use them."

Despite the scare, Jackie returned to her nest on Saturday morning and was observed on the eagle camera at 8:28 a.m.

"It is unusual behavior for Jackie to be away that length of time, especially during nesting season with two eggs in the nest, and to not be seen or heard on the cameras for 20+ hours," the nonprofit wrote in an update on Sunday, March 8.

"Although we are not certain where she was, we were very relieved to see her return safely as she flew into the nest to reconnect with Shadow and their eggs."

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The nonprofit speculated that Jackie might have been dealing with a potential intruder or territorial issue that caused her to fly from the nest.

"Thank you for all your support and concern for Jackie's safe return during such an uncertain time. What a beautiful moment to see her fly in, and even more so, to see her reunited with Shadow and their eggs!" the nonprofit said.

More: Jackie and Shadow now have 2 new eggs for eagle cam fans to watch

A tough breeding season

The bald eagle couple has already been through a lot this year. In January, they suffered a devastating loss after their first clutch of eggs laid in the 2025-2026 breeding season was breached by ravens.

However, a new egg appeared in the nest on Tuesday, Feb. 24, and a second egg came later in the month.

"Congratulations Jackie & Shadow!" the nonprofit said in a Feb. 27 post. "The 2nd egg of the 2nd clutch arrived this evening at 17:55:33 camera time! Jackie did great and is now dozing off while keeping her 2 eggs nice and cozy."

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jackie, the California bald eagle returns to her nest, eggs

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