Latest news with #GizmoSunny
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘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
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sister act: Big Bear bald eaglets Sunny and Gizmo are both female
After nearly three months of speculation, the experts have weighed in: Both eaglets at the Big Bear bald eagle nest are female. Sunny and Gizmo are sisters, according to the organizations that operates the world-famous 24-hour camera feed of the nest near Big Bear Lake. "Peaceful, loving sisters," added Friends of Big Bear Valley Executive Director Sandy Steers. The naturalists announced last week that Gizmo was believed to be female, but Sunny's sex remained unclear until Saturday. "After much observation and some fairly definitive vocal frequency analysis, we believe that even though Sunny, as the older one, is now smaller than Gizmo, she is also female," Steers said in an update posted to social media. Despite being four days younger, Gizmo has outgrown Sunny in size. Although now the smaller of the siblings, Sunny has led the way when it comes to exploring the branches surrounding the nest and experimenting with flight. More: Fledge watch: Big Bear bald eaglets Sunny and Gizmo prepare to take first flights She was seen taking to the air for a 3-second-long hover above the nest for the first time on Thursday. Her flight testing grew bolder and Friday, when she was again spotted hovering above the nest and spreading her wings into the wind. Bald eaglets generally leave the nest, or fledge, at 10 to 14 weeks of age, experts said. At 12 weeks old, Sunny and Gizmo could each be ready to make their first flights away from the nest any time now. But they won't immediately become strangers. Eaglets tend to remain close to their nests for a month or two as they develop the skills they will need to survive on their own. They young predators will then head out to establish their own homes, potentially hundreds or thousands of miles away from Big Bear. They still have a long journey ahead of them, as bald eagles mature at a slow rate. Sunny and Gizmo aren't expected to develop their iconic white heads, like their parents Jackie and Shadow, until they reach 4 or 5 years old. More information on the Big Bear bald eagles and the Friends of Big Bear Valley is available on the organizations website at This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Sister act: Big Bear bald eaglets Sunny and Gizmo are both female
