Celebrity bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are on the verge of welcoming a new addition to the family just in time for Easter — a holiday where eggs frequently take center stage.
Starting Thursday afternoon and lasting throughout the night, chirps could be heard coming from one of the avian couple’s two eggs, perched high in a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake.
“This indicates that the chick was able to break the internal membrane and took its first breath of air,” Friends of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit that operates a nest livestream, wrote in a Facebook post.
On Friday, observers spotted what appeared to be a pip — or breach in the eggshell. Hatching is underway, and it can take 24 to 48 hours to complete after the first pip, the nonprofit said. As of Friday morning, a bit of shell could be seen popping out on the top of the egg.
Video footage posted by the nonprofit shows a closeup of the cracked shell in the nest as winds blow and an eagle stands guard.
The event marks a joyous turnaround for the eagles, who lost a first clutch in late January. Both eagles left the two eggs unattended for several hours, and ravens ate them.
But the eagles brought sticks, fluff and prey to the nest, and mated — all signs Jackie might lay new eggs.
Lay she did, about a month after the loss that devastated fans of the birds.
The news set the internet ablaze with joy and hope.
What’s known as “pip watch” started earlier this week, a time of high anticipation when livestream viewers watch for signs of a chick breaking out of its shell.
Many are tuned in. The eagles had the highest view count of any year-round nature livestream active on YouTube between last fall and this spring — at 243 million, according to Rebecca Mauldin, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who studies social connectedness.
Jackie and Shadow are now in their eighth year nesting together. Last year, the couple raised two daughters — Gizmo and Sunny — who went on to fledge.
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