Some of America’s most famous eagles recently welcomed three brand-new eggs. It’s nesting season in California’s San Bernadino mountains, where the bald eagle named Shadow is taking supreme care of his wife, Jackie.
Sandy Steers, the executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, told The Epoch Times that Shadow wasn’t aware of what had taken place when he first arrived at the nest the morning after Jackie laid her third egg.
“He was acting normal, bringing a stick and making sure she was okay, like usual. Then she stood up, and he looked underneath, kind of doing a double take, like, ‘Did I really see what I saw?’” Ms. Steers said.
When the male bald eagle realized his wife was incubating a clutch of eggs, Ms. Steers says, his caring side went into overdrive.
“He started treating Jackie differently—it was a whole different game. He listens to her; he pays attention to her. He seems to notice when there’s something upsetting her, and he’s always checking on her,” she said.
The pair take turns sitting on their precious eaglet eggs, and when it’s Mom’s turn, Dad stays perched in a tree nearby, keeping watch. “If anything happens, like a raven passing by the nest, he can show up and make sure it stays away,” Ms. Steers said.
Once Jackie decides she needs a break and it’s time to leave the nest, she’ll call out to let Shadow know. He’ll be back to take over in seconds, but even when his partner doesn’t call, he’ll be around and attentive.
“He shows up and says, ‘Okay, it’s my turn.’ He‘ll bring a big stick to the nest and make a big deal of it—he knows that she’ll get up and give him a turn when he brings a stick and crashes it around. She gets out of his way and lets him have the eggs; it’s one of his special techniques,” Ms. Steers said.
There are exceptions to the rule, though. Right after Jackie’s labor, a heavy storm blew into Big Bear Valley, and the mom wasn’t going anywhere. During the storm, the female bald eagle spent 62 hours straight on the nest, with no breaks.
“At night-time or whenever there’s any kind of bad weather,” Ms. Steers said, “Jackie insists she will be on the nest. She will not let Shadow do it. This time, she stayed through the entire storm, from the time it started raining until it was sunny again—setting a new record for herself.”
After the egg-laying, the pair quickly settled into a harmonious parenting routine, but it was immediately clear who wears the trousers in their relationship.
Jackie’s Rules: Watch the Video
The reason everyone is so hooked on their antics, Ms. Steers says, is that each of the birds has their own very distinct personality. Eagles typically mate for life, but Jackie did have a previous mate.
“[He was] kind of wimpy, and she just bossed him around,” she said. But with Shadow it’s different. With him, she’ll actually pay attention “if he’s serious about wanting something.”
Like many couples, eagle husbands and wives switch between affection and the occasional rift, which is usually about whose turn it is to incubate the eggs.
Video: Shadow brings a whole fish to the snow-covered nest, gently places it near the eggs, and lets Jackie take it.
Ms. Steers has been observing Jackie and Shadow together since 2018. However, her team began observing this particular nest back in 2012 when the first bald eagle chick was hatched there, going on to set up a camera in 2015. Jackie arrived a year later, and Shadow came on the scene in 2018. The two bonded all year long, demonstrating sweet behavior such as helping one another arrange the nest and playfully nipping one another with their beaks.
She said: “They’re very gentle and tender with one another. During nesting season, Shadow brings food to Jackie and the chicks, and they’re always communicating back and forth. Even when it’s not nesting season, they’ll roost in the same tree, often on the same branch, and kind of snuggle together.”
“They love seeing into the window of Jackie and Shadow’s life, seeing it up close and personal,” Ms. Steers said. “Very often they’re amazed at the things they’re seeing, the dedication.”
