Jackie and Shadow's eggs eaten by ravens, but there's still hope for a new clutch

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Devoted fans of beloved bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow are grieving after their recently laid eggs were destroyed by ravens, though there’s still hope that another clutch will come.Just before noon on Friday, Shadow left their Big Bear nest with its two eggs, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit that monitors the eagles with 24-hour livestreams.Typically, the eagles would take shifts on egg duty.But Jackie was out, too.

That afternoon, ravens flew into the unattended nest and ate the eggs.Less than 10 minutes later, Jackie returned and began incubating, or sitting on, one of the breached eggs “because her hormones are telling her to incubate.” said Jenny Voisard, media and website manager for the nonprofit.California Bald eagles Jackie and Shadow, Southern California’s most famous feathered power couple, have welcomed their first egg of the 2026 season in their Big Bear nest.It’s not clear why the doting parents were both absent, “but we are sure they had their reasons as they have been incubating the eggs faithfully,” the nonprofit wrote in its “Eagle Log.” There are some possible explanations, according to Voisard.While Jackie and Shadow were out, eagle observers noticed there was a crack in one of the eggs, and they may have left because they knew one of the eggs may not be viable.There have also been more than the usual number of bald eagles in the area — at least three juveniles and one sub-adult — and they could have been off protecting their nest.The intruding ravens were tentative for a while — expecting the eagles to return, according to Voisard.Over time, they became emboldened, and at least one pierced both eggs.For ravens, the eggs provide a nutritious meal, packed with calcium and albumen.“Nature isn’t meaning to be cruel.

Nature just is,” Voisard said.“And we just watch to understand so that we can help take car...