Current:Home > Invest'Heartbreaking': 3 eggs of beloved bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow unlikely to hatch-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
'Heartbreaking': 3 eggs of beloved bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow unlikely to hatch
lotradecoin security View Date:2024-12-26 03:00:33
It hasn’t been a great week for Jackie and Shadow, the bald eagle couple who have been earnestly awaiting the arrival of their young.
Three eggs have yet to hatch, missing the 35-day watching window by a few days, Friends of Big Bear Valley, the organization that runs a 24-hour live feed of the eagles said in a Facebook post on Monday.
“As of today, there has been no confirmed pips in any of the eggs," the post says. "This is later than Jackie’s eggs have hatched in the past, so it is probably unlikely for them to hatch at this point ... but as someone pointed out to me, miracles do happen."
Here’s what we know about the latest Jackie and Shadow development, including whether there’s a chance these eggs will watch.
Social media fans of Jackie and Shadow react
The eagles have been the picture of devotion, tending to the clutch of eggs, watching over them in shifts, keeping them snug and warm and tidying up the nest. The news that they're unlikely to hatch is a sharp blow to the fans who have been watching the little family with “bated breath” since the eggs were laid in late January, USA TODAY previously reported.
“So what happens now," eagle fan Danielle White wrote in the comments. "Do they have a natural instinct on what to do next? I’m so heartbroken for these love birds. Praying for their miracle.”
Another fan, Martin Clark, wrote that he's still hopeful for the future of Jackie and Shadow's progeny.
"I've been a fan for a good long while, and though this is heartbreaking, they are remarkable to watch, and I'm already optimistic for next year," he said.
What are the odds that these eggs will hatch?
The odds aren’t looking great for the expecting parents, who have a “low chance” of any of them hatching at all, Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, told USA TODAY on Tuesday.
The reason why the eggs haven’t hatched is currently unknown, with Steers pointing out a myriad of factors that could have impacted the eggs, including altitude and temperature.
“As to why the eggs have not hatched, we have no way of knowing," she wrote on Monday. "It could be environmental, such as temperatures, humidity percentages, oxygen levels at high altitude, etc. It could be biological with something just being off at the time the eggs were created."
It's also unlikely that either eagle is infertile since they brought two other sets of chicks together, once in 2019 and once in 2022, though they lost two eggs last year.
Where does the recent development leave Jackie and Shadow?
Its very likely that Jackie and Shadow will continue to tend to their eggs for another couple of weeks, or a month even if nothing comes of it.
“Jackie and Shadow and their journey are still here," the Facebook post reads. "They continue doing what they do best … being eagles and taking care of what they have in front of them in each moment."
They continue to care for for the eggs, switching places, arguing over whose turn it is and being gentle and tender both with the eggs and with each other, the post reads.
Jackie and Shadow will eventually abandon the nest, leaving the clutch unattended gradually. Jackie has historically left the eggs alone sooner, with Shadow filling in as needed, Steers said.
As for what will happen to the eggs, that’s anyone’s guess.
The eggs can get buried in the nest or be scooped up by a predator, Steers said.
Could this impact how Jackie and Shadow might conceive in the future?
No, not at all.
In fact, there was a year in which they didn’t conceive in between two years that they had so this has happened in the past, Steers said.
“It doesn’t predict anything for the future,” Steers said.
Steers says she understands the sadness people are feeling, sharing that she, too, feels sad by the latest developments.
“Sometimes nature is hard to watch and part of this is our life lesson of knowing that nature does things for reasons that our mind can't understand," Steers said. "But there's benefit in us learning to watch and accept and know that whatever is happening is for the best."
In the meantime, Steers encourages viewers to “continue watching and learning and enjoying Jackie and Shadow as we see what happens next.”
Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Collin Gosselin Says He Was Discharged from the Marines Due to Being Institutionalized by Mom Kate
- Florida races to clean up after Helene before Hurricane Milton turns debris deadly
- Close call at Nashville airport came after planes were directed to same runway, probe shows
- Fantasy football injury report Week 6: Latest on Malik Nabers, Joe Mixon, A.J. Brown, more
- New York county signs controversial mask ban meant to hide people's identities in public
- Tampa Bay was spared catastrophic storm surge from Hurricane Milton. Here's why.
- Big Ten clash between Ohio State and Oregon leads college football Week 7 predictions for Top 25 games
- Lisa Marie Presley Shares She Had Abortion While Dating Danny Keough Before Having Daughter Riley Keough
- The president of Columbia University has resigned, effective immediately
- Inflation slowed again, new CPI report shows: Will the Fed keep cutting rates?
Ranking
- Democrats try to block Green Party from presidential ballot in Wisconsin, citing legal issues
- Officials work to protect IV supplies in Florida after disruptions at North Carolina plant
- 49 Prime Day Home Deals Celebrities Love Starting at $6.39: Khloe Kardashian, Nick Cannon & More
- TikTok sued by 13 states and DC, accused of harming younger users
- Social media celebrates Chick-Fil-A's Banana Pudding Milkshake: 'Can I go get in line now?'
- Ryan Reynolds, Selena Gomez and More Stars Who've Spoken Out About Mental Health
- Ethel Kennedy, social activist and widow of Robert F Kennedy, has died
- 'Love Island USA' star Hannah Smith arrested at Atlanta concert, accused of threatening cop
Recommendation
-
'Alien: Romulus' movie review: Familiar sci-fi squirms get a sheen of freshness
-
Professional Climber Michael Gardner Dead at 32 in Nepal
-
When will Aaron Jones return? Latest injury updates on Vikings RB
-
Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million to Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene Victims
-
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey announce engagement with new photos
-
Sum 41's Deryck Whibley alleges sex abuse by ex-manager: Biggest revelations from memoir
-
13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing.
-
Lisa Marie Presley Shares She Had Abortion While Dating Danny Keough Before Having Daughter Riley Keough