UPDATE (JUNE 7, 2025) – Gizmo has taken her first flight! It was not quite as graceful as her sister, Sunny, when she took off a couple days ago. But it is still a big milestone for the young eagle.
Gizmo and Sunny hatched in March in Big Bear, California, to proud parents Jackie and Shadow. The bald eagle family has been monitored closely via webcam by people around the world.
Jackie and Shadow are still keeping a close eye on their offspring. Jackie brought a fish over to Gizmo at her perch where she landed after her first flight. The young eagles will stay in the vicinity for a couple more weeks until they feel they’re ready to set out on their own.
ORIGINAL POST (JUNE 2, 2025):
CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK – The bald eagle babies of California are flying!
Sunny has just taken her first flight from her nest in Big Bear, California, while Betty Lou, who lives in Channel Islands National Park, also recently fledged.
Sunny—who was just identified as a female by wildlife experts—and her sister Gizmo have been watched closely by thousands of people around the world via a live webcam perched in their nest high above Big Bear Valley in San Bernardino National Forest. Jackie and Shadow are the famous parents who have doted on their eaglets to the delight of everyone. Gizmo hasn’t taken flight just yet, but it could be any day now. She’s only a couple days younger than her sister.
There’s a webcam trained on Betty Lou’s nest, too, which is also home to proud mom Audacity and father Jak.
Betty Lou, Gizmo and Sunny all hatched in March of 2025. Young eagles typically start trying to take off at around 10 weeks. Once they’ve fledged, or learned how to fly, they’ll likely stick around their nest for another 4-12 weeks, which means fans of the bald eagle families will have a couple more weeks to monitor the beloved birds that have captured hearts worldwide.
Click here to watch Jackie & Shadow’s nest with Sunny & Gizmo.
Click here to watch Jak & Audacity’s nest with Betty Lou.
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