Bald eagles spent weeks making nest for egg — then ravens got it, California group says

A flock of ravens devoured a California bald eagle’s only laid egg, Friends of Big Bear Valley said.

Eagles known as Jackie and Shadow started working on a nest last month. The San Bernardino National Forest prepared for new bald eagles to come, and officials shut down hiking trails and picnic areas near the nest, McClatchy News reported.

“The closure helps protect the nesting site and maintain natural bald eagle behavior,” forest officials said. “The species is sensitive to human interference and may abandon nesting activities, including eggs and offspring, if feeling threatened.”

After weeks of gathering supplies to build the nest, Jackie and Shadow’s first egg arrived Wednesday, Friends of Big Bear Valley said on Facebook.

A day later, the group reported the egg was preyed on by ravens while the mother was away from the nest.

“Shadow has not been seen at the nest since (Wednesday) morning,” the group said. “We do not know why he was not coming to help with the egg, but there is no cause for concern at this time.”

The good news is it’s possible that the eagles will lay another egg within the next few days, officials said.

Bald eagles were previously listed as an endangered species, and the number of nesting pairs has been monitored in the continental U.S., according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

In California, the best time to see bald eagles is from December to March because they are migrating, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife reported.

“On some midwinter statewide surveys, more than 1,000 bald eagles have been counted in California,” Fish and Wildlife said. “The largest concentration of wintering eagles is found in the Klamath Basin, on the California-Oregon border.”

People interested in spotting Jackie and Shadow’s new egg can watch a livestream on YouTube.

“The only thing we can do now is observe,” Friends of Big Bear Valley said.

This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Bald eagles spent weeks making nest for egg — then ravens got it, California group says."