BIG BEAR, Calif. (KABC) — There’s lots of eyes focused on the Big Bear eagles webcam as Jackie and Shadow’s two eaglets – Sunny and Gizmo – get ready to take flight.
On Thursday, Sunny attempted to fly and hovered over the edge of the nest for a few seconds before deciding they weren’t quite ready. Once that first flight occurs, Sunny will likely return within the day or some time later.
Gizmo has remained in the nest. That’s not a concern because just like children, eaglets all develop differently and hit milestones when they’re ready.
Sunny and Gizmo are 12 weeks old, and the timing of this first flight is on track. Typically, it happens between 10 to 14 weeks.
“It’s kind of up to them how much they come back to the nest,” said Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Steers added they usually leave the area where they hatched once they’re older.
She said they could travel up to a thousand miles away.
When they’re about 5 years old, that’s when they become sexually mature and take on the bald eagle appearance with the white head and tail.
The eaglets and their parents – Jackie and Shadow – captivated the internet and wildlife enthusiasts earlier this year as viewers waited for the chicks to hatch.
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