The Big Bear bald eagle Jackie, made famous by a continuous livestream, remains stable but is still in critical condition while experts work to understand her underlying illness, according to a rescue and rehabilitation center in Ventura County.
On Friday, July 17, Jackie was found grounded for hours after being seen in an altercation with two sub-adult eagles (birds between 2 and 4 years old). The renowned bird didn’t receive any known injuries in the fight but is being treated at Ojai Raptor Center for a condition that weakened her.
Late Monday afternoon, the Ojai center said on a social media update post that Jackie continues to receive round-the-clock care and is undergoing preventive treatments.
“After showing encouraging improvement following her blood transfusion, she experienced a setback on Saturday when her blood values declined again. Since then, she has improved once more,” the Ojai post read.
The life-saving transfusion was thanks to Spirit, a bald eagle living at the California Living Museum in Bakersfield, along with the veterinary and animal care teams, according to a Thursday afternoon Facebook post from Ojai.
Among the other strides Jackie has made are changes to her packed cell volume, which measures the percentage of red blood cells in her bloodstream.
“Her packed cell volume has increased from 8% before the weekend to 16% today. While this remains below normal, it is an encouraging improvement, and we will continue to monitor her bloodwork daily as we keep a close eye on her progress,” the post continues.
But the center cautioned: “Despite extensive diagnostic testing and consultation with experienced wildlife veterinarians, we still do not have a definitive diagnosis”
The Ojai center reported that Jackie is able to eat without assistance, becoming more “feisty” during feedings, the update said.
Meanwhile, Shadow remains without his mate of nearly 10 years. A Sunday, July 26 Instagram post from Friends of Big Bear Valley, the environmental nonprofit that operates the livestream, said that several people had been asking about a sub-adult eagle that has been in the habitat for several days. FBBV also suspects that the sub-adult eagle may have been involved in the altercation with Jackie.
The post said it connected with a bald eagle expert and conservationist, Peter Sharpe, about the sub-adult eagle hanging around the nest. Sharpe recently retired from the Institute for Wildlife Studies in Northern California and helped FBBV install the 24/7 video feed.
“He aged this eagle at three-and-a-half years old. Bald eagles generally reach full maturity at the age of 5 years old, though they can be ready to mate and lay eggs at the age of 4; however, that is not as common,” the post read.
It was Sharpe’s opinion that the sub-adult eagle is too young to be looking for a nest territory or a mate. The appearance still has the internet a chatter. Comments on FBBV Instagram and Facebook posts have some calling the younger eagle “Jolene” after the Dolly Parton song.
Jenny Voisard, media manager with Friends of Big Bear Valley, called the narrative that Shadow was going to a younger female bird “weird” during a Friday morning call. She said it was unlikely because Shadow’s hormones won’t change until mating season, around December or January.
In fact, according to the Sunday FBBV Instagram post, it appears to be quite the opposite.
“Shadow did show defensive behavior against the sub-adult for several days while Sandy and Luna were at the nest and seen in the area on both cameras,” the post read.
Jackie and Shadow’s 2026 eaglets, Sandy and Luna, were last seen on the continuous video feed on Thursday, July 23.
“If Sandy and Luna have indeed left on their life’s journey, their timing is completely normal. At the Big Bear nest, previous eaglets have generally dispersed at around 4 weeks after fledging. It is not confirmed that Sandy and Luna have left the area; we can only observe, and time will tell. If Sandy and Luna are not in the habitat, Shadow would not feel the need to protect the territory,” the Sunday FBBV post continued.