One of the three baby bald eagles that went viral in California earlier this month appears to be missing from its nest, eagle-eyed viewers noticed Friday.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit organization that has been sharing 24/7 live camera footage of bald eagles Jackie and Shadow's nest on YouTube, as well as their three recently hatched eaglets, told ABC News that the whereabouts of the third chick are currently unknown following recent snowfall.
"We were only able to see two chicks this morning so we are not sure what is going on," a Friends of Big Bear Valley representative said in a statement. "Our view into the nest bowl is partially obstructed by snow and there is a big part of it that we cannot see. We are holding positive thoughts as we wait to be updated by nature."
Jackie and Shadow, whose home is located in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, welcomed two eaglets on March 3 and 4, and a third on March 8, according to Facebook post updates from Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Fans have been following Jackie and Shadow over the years, and in 2023, the eagle pair went viral after laying two eggs. The eggs failed to hatch at the time, but this month's appearance of three new eggs brought a new hatch-watch back under the internet's spotlight.
Bald eagles, the national bird of the U.S., are no longer considered endangered, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but they remain a protected species. It is against the law to harm, kill or sell bald eagles, their nests or eggs.
