Jackie, a female bald eagle whose Big Bear Lake nest is watched by millions through a live cam, is recovering at a raptor center after she was found grounded and unable to fly. Rescuers brought her in on July 18, and she’s now recovering at the Ojai Raptor Center in Ventura County, California. KTLA reported that new tests show she’s anemic with inflammation affecting her kidneys. Veterinarians have not yet identified what’s causing either ailment.
A resident of Fawnskin spotted the trouble. Jackie was in the lake in an altercation with two subadult bald eagles, not far from her nest. Jenny Voisard of Friends of Big Bear Valley told ABC7 that Jackie held her own against both birds, which she said were after her fish and probably her territory, saying “she wasn’t able to fly away.”
The San Dimas Raptor Rescue Team carried out the rescue, with help from Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Crews stabilized the bird at the scene. She was then transferred to Ojai for specialized care.
Her condition since has been described as underweight but alert. She’s standing and perching, eating with assistance and now picking up food on her own. The nonprofit reported that “she is mad and fighting the staff,” which it took as a good sign. X-rays turned up no fishing hooks, sinkers, or other metal objects, and she suffered no broken bones in the fight. The center is awaiting test results for lead, zinc, and rodenticide levels, and vets are working on figuring out exactly what’s wrong with her.
How Rescuers Worked Out It Was Jackie
Identifying her took days, because Jackie isn’t banded. She had been missing from the nest for a stretch before the rescue, and speculation about the injured eagle’s identity moved quickly online. Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote Sunday night that it was apparent the rescued bird was likely Jackie, and later coverage has treated the identification as settled.
Her absence was registered because of the camera. The nonprofit runs the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam, which has followed Jackie and Shadow around the clock for years, so a missing adult is noticed within hours rather than never. Voisard said Jackie had been scarce since the Fourth of July fireworks, and that when she did come to the nest on July 12, she seemed hungry.
What Is Happening at the Nest While She Is Away
Shadow has the nest on his own. Jackie’s mate of eight years is caring for this season’s two eaglets, Sandy and Luna, while defending the nest and territory, Friends of Big Bear Valley said. Both eaglets have fledged and return to the nest for visits, with Luna having taken a first flight recently, and raptor experts say the pair are old enough now to fly and feed themselves with some help from their father.
Jackie and Shadow raised eaglets Sunny and Gizmo in 2025, the same year they lost another during a storm, and ravens destroyed their first two eggs of 2026 in January before Sandy and Luna arrived. Support for Jackie has been substantial, with the Ojai Raptor Center taking in donations from more than 11,000 people. Whether she can be released back to Big Bear depends on test results that aren’t back just yet.