'Sunny': The Eagle Has Left The Nest In Big Bear

BIG BEAR, CA — The eaglet has left the nest of California's beloved bald eagle parents, Jackie and Shadow.

Droves of livestream viewers rejoiced Monday as Sunny, one of two young bald eagles, took her first flight over Big Bear Lake at 10:46 a.m., officially fledging the nest.

The live cams offering two viewpoints of the eagle family's nest are maintained by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley. FOBBV CAM has more than 655,000 subscribers.

Tens of thousands have been watching the growth of eagle sisters, Sunny and Gizmo, since they were hatched by doting parents Jackie and Shadow in March.

"Congratulations, Sunny! As we get to feel exuberance of this beautiful success and at the same time, sadness for change that means seeing her less often. Sunny is out in the world!" The nonprofit wrote on Monday.

'SUNNY DID IT': Watch The Moment Sunny Took Flight:

It's unclear just where Sunny flew off to, but the nonprofit says she may return to the nest a few more times before finally bidding her family farewell.

"Sunny may return to the nest…Jackie and Shadow’s previous eaglets have all done that. It is all up to her at this point. But in any case, Jackie and Shadow will be keeping an eye on Sunny, bringing her food, guarding her and teaching her all that she needs to know to be out in the world. All while they also continue taking care of Gizmo. Gizmo probably now has a lot to think about," according to the Eagle Log.

Fledge watch began on May 13 for the two eaglets, according to the nonprofit. Eagles have a very wide fledging window that can occur between 10 and 14 weeks old.

"By fall, they will take off on their own," FOBBV said on Facebook. "Since they aren't banded, we will have no way to know if they stay together, or for how long."

Bald eagles reach full maturity at around 5 years old, gaining their white feathered caps and yellow beaks.

After weeks of practicing, Sunny lifted her wings on Monday to catch the wind just as she had been for days on end, but this time she leaped. Once she was in the air, she circled back around toward Shadow and Jackie's "favorite roost tree."

As she took her flight, Gizmo never took her eyes off her.

"She looked completely fascinated and kept her eyes on Sunny flying away from the nest," the nonprofit said.

Although fans of the eaglets have been watching the pair jump up and flap their wings for days on end, it was Sunny who reached her first major milestone on Thursday.

The first hover attempt, which was recorded after 1 p.m. on Thursday, saw Sunny up on the "high perch" of the nest, which is a Y-shaped branch overlooking the lake. Sunny waited for the wind to pick up before spreading her wings to catch a few seconds of air.

The wind eventually knocked Sunny back into the nest with her sibling, Gizmo.

Jackie and Shadow's previous offspring, Spirit and Simba, both took their first flights from that very spot in 2019 and 2022, according to the Eagle Log.

READ MORE:

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Watch FOBBV Livestream Here: