4 days ago
‘Gizmo did it!' Big Bear bald eaglet Gizmo takes first flight, joining sister Sunny in sky
The younger of the two Big Bear eaglet sisters took to the sky for her first flight on Saturday, June 7 when the Friends of Big Bear Valley cameras caught Gizmo flapping her wings and taking off at 8:27 a.m., Popular Science reported.
Sunny officially fledged and left the nest at 10:46 a.m. June 2. Despite having outgrown her older sister, Gizmo, who is days younger than Sunny, it took five days longer for Gizmo to follow her sister in flight.
'Gizmo did it!' the Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam posted on their Facebook page.
Bald eagles generally make their first flights, or "fledge," from the nest at 10 to 14 weeks of age. Sunny and Gizmo are both 12 weeks old.
Here's what to know about Sunny, Gizmo, and their parents, Jackie and Shadow.
Sunny and Gizmo hatched early March. Jackie and Shadow had three chicks that hatched, but one died in late March.
Jackie and Shadow have been a mating pair since 2018, when Shadow replaced Jackie's previous mate, according to the Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Jackie is believed to be the first recorded bald eagle chick hatched in Big Bear in 2012. She was initially known as Jack until it became apparent she was female, and her name was switched to Jackie.
Shadow hatched in Big Bear in 2015.
The eagles' nest is in Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains, about 145 feet up in a Jeffrey Pine tree, according to the Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Related: With all the Sunny and Gizmo mania, how many bald eagles are in California, the nation?
The Friends of Big Bear Valley operate two live feeds that capture different angles of the nest that Jackie and Shadow call home. The livestreams can be watched on YouTube at FOBBV Cam.
You can also stay updated with Friends of Big Bear Valley's Facebook page, which makes frequent updates on the beloved eagle family.
This story was updated to add new information.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Big Bear bald eaglet Gizmo takes first flight from nest-joining-Sunny
