Bald eagle live cam update: What's next now that eaglets Sunny and Gizmo are leaving the nest?

Fast Company

10-06-2025

There comes a time in every person's life when they have to say goodbye to a situation that they have outgrown. The same concept applies to eaglets who fledge or leave the nest—typically, when they reach 10 to 14 weeks of age.
Millions of people have been watching this happen in real time thanks to a viral nest camera operated by the nonprofit Friends of the Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), located in California. Since the beginning of 2025, the live-stream of this family of bald eagles—headed by Jackie and Shadow— has emerged as a bonafide phenomenon of internet culture, providing an escape for Americans burned out on news and politics.
Now Jackie and Shadow's offspring, Sunny and Gizmo, have officially flown away from home for the first time, meaning the end is near for their time at home. Here's what to expect next:
Gender reveal (or something close)
Although the only way to know definitively is through a blood test, at the end of May, FOBBV announced that it believes both Sunny and Gizmo are females. This is because of the sisters' size and vocalizations. Another indication is their love of food.
Speaking of eating, the best way to tell the sisters apart is their mouths. The corner of Gizmo's is thicker and more of an orange color. Sunny's is not as curved.
Timeline: When did the eaglets first leave the nest?
Sunny is the oldest by four days, so it makes sense that she decided to take off first. At 90 days old, she left the nest's Y branch on Monday, June 2, at 10:46 a.m. local time. Gizmo looked on in awe as Sunny made her way to the nearby Roost Tree. Parents Jackie and Shadow spent the night with her perched below.
FOBBV warned viewers that Sunny might not return to the nest right away because a flight of that height would require some major wing power. Sunny said challenge accepted and returned to check in on her sister the very next day. She continued to drop in especially during mealtimes.
Gizmo's turn
On Saturday, June 7, it was Gizmo's turn to fledge. Her first flight was not as graceful as her sister's. At around 8:27 a.m. local time, it almost appeared as if she fell, misstepped, and was forced into flight.
Regardless of whether this was accidental or not, she made the best of it and landed on the nearby Simba Tree. This happened at the same time that Shadow was bringing breakfast to the empty nest. The caring dad found his daughter on the Simba Tree and kept an eye on her as she recovered from her big moment.
What's next for the eagles?
Sunny and Gizmo returned to the nest on Monday for dinner. Fans were happy for this reunion because they know these days are numbered.
The eaglets will hang around the area for a couple of months, learning important survival skills—such as hunting—from their parents.
After that, they may disperse and find a new territory of their own. Bald eagles can be found in most of Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. They like to live near a body of water, which acts as a food supply. Their iconic white heads will come in at 4 to 5 years of age, around the time of sexual maturity. Then the cycle will repeat itself all over again, proving that goodbyes are often just the beginning of new adventures.
Be sure to watch the web camera embedded below for these last precious moments. (At last check it had more than 15,000 concurrent viewers in the early-morning hours of Tuesday.)