Bald eagle dad refuses to get off eggs in California nest. See mom’s clever tricks
Bald eagle Shadow is known for being a devoted dad when it comes to tending to his and Jackie’s eggs in their Southern California nest.
But sometimes his dedication turns into a reluctance to share egg duties with his eagle partner.
When he gets like this, Jackie has some clever tricks to get him out of the nest.
Shadow was seen incubating the eggs just before 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7, the Friends of Big Bear Valley’s executive director Sandy Steers wrote on Facebook.
A video shows Jackie fly into the Big Bear Lake nest. She begins by “sweet-talking him with little squeaks and soft nibbles on his beak,” Steers said.
But Shadow won’t budge, so Jackie has to change her approach.
She is seen walking into the nest bowl with Shadow until he gets the hint and leaves.
Later that day after 5:30 p.m., Shadow is seen having another turn tending to the eggs.
Jackie flies into the nest indicating his time was up, the video shows.
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The pair has a stare-off but Shadow remains cozy on the eggs until Jackie picks up a long stick and plops it on his back.
“Shadow seemed shocked. He tried, but couldn’t pull the stick off his back,” Steers wrote on Facebook. “With much grumbling, he dragged himself out from under the stick and Jackie took over the eggs.”
Jackie laid her first egg Jan. 22, followed by her second egg on Jan. 25 and the third egg on Jan. 28, McClatchy News reported. Her eggs typically hatch after 38 to 39 days.
A “pip watch” date has been set for March 1. A pip happens when an eaglet makes its first hole in the egg.
Jackie and Shadow can be watched on the nonprofit’s live eagle camera. Big Bear Lake is about a 95-mile drive northeast from Los Angeles.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Bald eagle dad refuses to get off eggs in California nest. See mom’s clever tricks."
