What to Know
- Jackie and Shadow are the world-famous Big Bear bald eagles
- Sunny and Gizmo are their growing-fast 2025 chicks; Sunny will be 10 weeks old May 13, meaning the window to fledge, or fly from the nest, will open
- The "fledge window" for a young bald eagle occurs from around 10 to 14 weeks of age, shares the Friends of Big Bear Valley team, the nonprofit organization that oversees the camera trained on the eagle nest
The month of May can bring a poignant flavor to our lives, with youngsters ready to spread their wings and leave various nests, all to find new adventures in the realm of adulthood.
Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HEREWe are talking about graduation ceremonies, commencement celebrations, and the moving out of dorms, oh yes, but we also have an eagle eye trained on a famous nest near Big Bear Lake.
It's the aerie that is associated with Jackie and Shadow, the beloved bonded bald eagles that are known around the world thanks to an around-the-clock nest camera.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning with NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP The devoted duo has been dutifully tending to Sunny and Gizmo, their growing-fast chicks.
The eaglets were truly wee just weeks ago but now dominate the large nest with their impressive sizes, curiosity-driven antics, and adorable interactions.
But the raising of eaglets eventually draws to a close, an emotion-filled fact for the thousands of fans who've been watching these baby birds get bigger by the day over the last 10 or so weeks.
Sunny, the slightly larger of the two young eagles, is marking 10 weeks May 13, which means the "fledge window" will officially open.
This is the time when an eagle may finally take the big leap and leave the nest.
The fledge window lasts for about four weeks, which means that Sunny and little sibling Gizmo may go for lift-off by the end of May or the beginning of June, a moment that will surely captivate the tens of thousands of people looking on from around the globe.
The charismatic youngsters have been busily practicing their "wingers" and "wingersizing" — yep, they're trying out those incredible wings while standing tall in the nest — and powerful mini leaps within their stick-filled bowl and off the branches lining the nest.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit organization that operates the nest camera, shared the fledging launch date in a Mother's Day social media post, as well as a few respectful tips for those bird fans visiting Big Bear to observe all of the nest activities (from a distance, of course).
"During this Fledge Watch, we encourage you to get excited about our wildlife, make lasting memories and have a happy summer!" the post suggests.
"Thank you for caring and protecting the eagles today and every day. It will be a very bittersweet time when Sunny and Gizmo fledge and embark on their Grand Journeys, which make take them thousands of miles away from their natal home."
The laying of eggs is always exciting to watch, and the potential hatching of those eggs, too, but fans grow particularly breathless during the fledge period, understandably.
After all, watching a young bird's first "step" into air, and in the direction of their next chapter, is something marvelous to observe.
We humans do appreciate the thrill of new beginnings, especially, it seems, in May and June.
Updated May 13
