The Big Bear eagle nest, famous worldwide, saw its second 2026 eagle chick fly away Monday.
Luna, the second of the 2026 Big Bear area bald eagle chicks to fly this season, took flight for the first time Monday, June 29, 2026. Here is the eaglet moments before take off. (Courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Valley)
Luna, the second of the 2026 Big Bear area bald eagle chicks this season to fly, took flight for the first time Monday, June 29, 2026. (Courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Valley)
Luna, the second of the 2026 Big Bear area bald eagle chicks to fly this season, took flight for the first time Monday, June 29, 2026. (Courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Valley)
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Luna, the second of the 2026 Big Bear area bald eagle chicks to fly this season, took flight for the first time Monday, June 29, 2026. Here is the eaglet moments before take off. (Courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Valley)
After several wing flaps, at approximately 9:24 a.m., Luna leaped from the nest’s protruding branch, letting instincts take over, successfully fledgling – when a young bird flies from the nest – just a day behind his sibling, Sandy.
The environmental nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley, which runs the nonstop livestream, confirmed the fledging in a Facebook post. The live nest camera was first installed in 2015 by FBBV and has since captured the daily lives of the bald eagle pair, Jackie and Shadow — parents of Sandy and Luna.
“This morning at 9:24:43 cam time, Luna took the leap of faith and in beautiful form flew gracefully over to the Simba tree where Shadow was waiting for him,” the post read.
“It was a beautiful flight,” said Jenny Voisard, media manager with Friends of Big Bear Valley,
“We are so happy for him. We will continue to watch for Jackie and Sandy. We heard squeals this morning.”
Sandy and her brother Luna debuted on April 4 and 5 and have since been the focus of the nonstop livestream managed by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley.
“I guess he said, ‘I’m not staying here by myself tonight. What grace and beauty!” Nik Green wrote on a Friends of Big Bear Valley Facebook post.
Also see: How Big Bear’s bald eagles became social media stars
Just a day earlier, Sandy accidentally plunged from her nest but was later seen flying on a FBBV security camera.
Voisard noted on Sunday that entering a bald eagle habitat is illegal and urged people to steer clear.
The San Bernardino National Forest said Monday morning that there is an active order prohibiting the public from entering the birds’ habitat.
Sandy and Luna’s fledging is just days away from an annual Independence Day fireworks show hosted by the tourism organization, Visit Big Bear. Local residents, fans and FBBV were concerned about how the light and sound barrage would affect the avian neighbors.
The pyrotechnic display is 2 miles from Jackie and Shadow’s nesting ground. A Change.org petition, as of the early afternoon of June 29, has nearly 25,000 signatures urging Big Bear leaders to relocate this year’s fireworks launch site or consider alternative celebrations like drone light shows.
Minutes into last’s year’s firework display, Jackie and Shadow fled from their home and did not return for nearly 24 hours.
Visit Big Bear CEO Travis Scott said by phone Friday, June 19, that 70% of the community’s tourism income comes during the snow season, between December and March, and that this snow season did not yield heavy snowfall, impacting local businesses.
“Big Bear’s tourism ecosystem is fragile too, and the Fourth of July holiday is part of the broader effort to help our community recover heading into the summer season,” a Visit Big Bear statement read.