Latest news with #eaglets
Yahoo
5 days ago
- 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
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Big Bear eaglets Sunny and Gizmo believed to be sisters, says wildlife organization
After revealing the gender of one of the eaglets last week, wildlife organization Friends of Big Bear Valley announced that Sunny and Gizmo are sisters. Big News…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," wrote Sandy Steers, a biologist and the Executive Director of Friends of Big Bear Valley. "So, Sunny and Gizmo are sisters! Peaceful, loving sisters." After being born in March, the two birds have captured the eyes of thousands across the nation as they prepare for their first flight. "They've been practicing bouncing up and down with their little wings," Steers said. "They're big wings now." Sonny and Gizmo, the eaglets of beloved Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow. Friends of Big Bear Valley/YouTube Sunny had her first hover experience on Friday, clearing the surface of their nest for 3.3 seconds. Once they embark on their maiden flight, Sunny and Gizmo will continue to live with their parents, Jackie and Shadow. The full-grown eagles will follow their children around for at least three months before becoming empty nesters. "Once they get, I guess full of knowing, think they know what they're doing, they take off," she said. "They usually travel around to meet other eagles." The Big Bear bald eagle family can be observed 24/7 via a webcam hosted by the Friends of Big Bear Valley on YouTube. Steers also documents the eagles on live cameras on the Friends of Big Bear Valley website.
CBS News
09-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Big Bear eaglets getting ready to fly from nest for first time, wildlife organization says
Big Bear eaglets getting ready to fly from nest for first time, wildlife organization says Big Bear eaglets getting ready to fly from nest for first time, wildlife organization says Big Bear eaglets getting ready to fly from nest for first time, wildlife organization says The Big Bear eaglets will soon be ready to stretch their wings and fly from their parents' nest in coming weeks, an exciting but nerve wracking experience for those who have grown attention to the beloved bald eagle family. Sunny and Gizmo only turn 10-weeks old-next week, but they're already getting ready to fledge, or fly for the first time. They were born in March, much to the delight of thousands across the nation anxiously waiting to see if the eggs would make it through the winter. "They've been practicing bouncing up and down with their little wings," said Sandy Steers, a biologist and the Executive Director of Friends of Big Bear Valley. "They're big wings now." Sonny and Gizmo, the eaglets of beloved Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow. Friends of Big Bear Valley/YouTube She says that though they make look small on the live camera, which feeds from the eagles' nest 24/7 thanks to the wildlife organization's YouTube channel. "Pretty soon they'll move out onto the limbs and practice it and make all the viewers nervous, because they'll be afraid they'll fall off," Steers said. Though a little worry, she says they won't fall. After taking flight for the first time, Sunny and Gizmo will still hang around the nest for a while, and that their parents Jackie and Shadow will continue to follow them around for at least three months to continue watching over them. "Once they get, I guess full of knowing, think they know what they're doing, they take off," she said. "They usually travel around to meet other eagles." Within five years, they'll find a mate, hunker down and start their own families, though it's unclear exactly where that may be. Fledges from Southern California have been tracked as far north as Canada and as far east as Yellowstone.
