2 days Ago
A winter storm dumped several inches of snow on Big Bear last night, but have no fear: The chicks of beloved eagles Jackie and Shadow are staying safe and warm. The adult eagles each have more than 7,000 waterproof feathers, plus down feathers that keep their chicks warm despite the freezing temperatures, according to Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that manages the YouTube livestream of the famous feathered couple. "They know what they're doing in this kind of weather, and they're built for it.
It's actually more worrisome if it was way too hot," Steers said. "They will protect the chicks." The two chicks hatched earlier this week and now require round-the-clock attention to stay alive, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley .
That's why Jackie has been sitting on her babies constantly. Steers said the only time the couple won't be sitting on their chicks is when they're feeding them. Yesterday, Shadow brought three fish to the nest.
The coldest weather is yet to come. Adam Roser with the National Weather Service said temperatures will drop to 15 degrees Thursday night, and more snow and strong winds are expected. That won't be a problem for Jackie and Shadow according to Steers, who said it's actually a great time for a storm, because the chicks are small enough to stay completely under their parents.
The biggest potential threat to the chicks will be if another storm comes in a few weeks. “They're going to reach a point, especially if there's 3, even if there's 2, that they all can't fit under an adult,” said Peter Sharpe, a wildlife biologist with the Institute for Wildlife Studies and the expert behind Jackie and Shadow’s camera system. “If they can't really get under the adult for warmth, then they're partially exposed.
I think they just get a bit too cold.” That's right — there could end up being three chicks. A third egg remains under pip watch, which is the first sign of hatching, until early next week.
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