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Big Bear’s famous bald eagle chicks are getting closer to leaving the nest. Sunny, formerly known as Chick 2, is about 6 weeks old as of Friday. The younger sibling, Gizmo, is just a few days behind.
Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that manages the popular YouTube livestream, told LAist they’ve all been amazed at how fast the eaglets are growing. “ I think it's wonderful that we get the opportunity to see what nature can do and, you know, show us all the possibilities,” she said. How they're doing The chicks have largely moved past their sibling rivalry, otherwise known as “bonking.
” They now prefer to cooperate and cuddle up next to each other in the roughly 6-foot-wide nest, Steers said. They’ve gotten steadier on their feet, and their yellow talons no longer look comically large compared to the rest of their body. Sunny has started standing up in the nest and trying to take bits of fish from their parents on its own.
Gizmo, on the other hand, still seems content getting fed by Jackie and Shadow. “ Sunny ..
. has a few times claimed the fish when Shadow brought it in and put his foot on it or said, you know, this is mine,” Steers said. The eaglets have also started stretching their wings, smacking the rest of their feathered family with practice “wingslaps.
” What’s next in the weeks ahead The next major milestone will be when Sunny and Gizmo start eating on their own. At this point, Steers said their beaks aren’t sharp enough to pull pieces off themselves, so they’re still learning the ropes from Jackie and Shadow. The eaglets are each around a foot-and-a-half tall, but they’re expected to roughly double in size in the next three to four weeks until they’re as tall as their parents.
Female bald eagles are larger than males, which could help hint to Sunny and Gizmo’s sex. When will we see them fly? When Sunny and Gizmo are around 10 to 14 weeks old, they should start to fledge, which is when they can take the first flight away from the nest. All of Jackie and Shadow’s chicks have returned to the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake after flying for the first time.
“Wherever they are, Jackie and Shadow will be following them around, feeding them and bringing them food and making sure that they learn how to get food on their own,” Steers said. When Sunny and Gizmo feel comfortable feeding on their own, after about two months of parental guidance, they’ll take off to see the world. Southern California fledglings have been seen as far east as Yellowstone and as far north as British Columbia, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
In the meantime, Steers is encouraging fans to enjoy the time they have with Sunny and Gizmo and trust that the eagles know what they’re doing. “ It fills my heart to see them every day and to watch how big they are, and to watch them develop and, you know, discover new skills and discover new things in the nest,” she said. How to tell them apart now Sunny and Gizmo look an awful lot alike at this stage, but their feathers hint at which one is which.
Sunny is almost completely covered with the dark waterproof feathers that are crucial for adult eagles, especially in the colder climates they’re accustomed to, while Gizmo still has more of the gray fluff they were swathed in as small chicks..
