“One bald eagle changed the world.”
So wrote Victoria Novak of Georgia, referring to Jackie, the internet-famous bald eagle who died Monday after weeks of intensive care for a mysterious illness.
Novak was far from alone. Her sentiment echoed nearly 200 responses to a callout asking readers what Jackie meant to them. Messages arrived from around the world, underscoring an impact that extended far beyond Southern California.
Jackie and her mate, Shadow, were propelled to celebrity status through a livestream of their nest perched high up in a pine tree overlooking Big Bear Lake.
Thousands of fans who have watched the couple bond and raise chicks — including two this season — are now grieving the avian icon.
Themes emerged in the responses, which were edited for clarity and length.
Over the years, millions watched bald eagle duo Jackie and Shadow rear chicks.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley)
Many fans saw Jackie as a model of motherhood, devotion and perseverance.
“Jackie you were the HEART of the world! You united the world no matter what race, religion or politics you were, you gave us all HOPE!” wrote Rosemarie Schoen of Williamsburg, Va. “I loved her because of her strength and devotion to her mate Shadow and her constant care for eaglets over the years.”
“Jackie and Shadow were parents we all pray we can be,” said Kathy Wimmer of North Carolina. “Loving, protective, teacher, provider — Jackie was all that and more.”
“Beloved Jackie showed us resilience and strength and the beauty of nature and how she stood for what we all want to believe,” said Patricia Hiscox of Long Island, N.Y. “She fought so hard and we will all miss her.”
Some saw an enduring romantic partnership in Jackie and Shadow, who paired up eight years ago.
“Through all the attacks from ravens and rival eagles, through hard winds, cold and heavy snows, Jackie and Shadow protected and provided for their eaglets,” said Iowa’s Tami Schmeisser. “Jackie and Shadow were an example of love and teamwork, and an example of how humans should work hard to be towards one another.”
Joshua Tree’s Michael Colin was so inspired by the avian “romance,” he produced a short film spoofing Ingmar Bergman’s “Scenes from a Marriage.” It’s titled “Scenes from a Nest.”
“I try not to anthropomorphize, but I feel her loss,” he said. “I believe that, as a human, I learned a lot from her, Shadow and their offspring.”
The eagles delivered some viewers through difficult times, from losing loved ones to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Anny Liu of Altadena was introduced to Jackie and Shadow in January 2025 — the month the Palisades and Eaton fires devastated swaths of Los Angeles County.
“At the time, I had a very difficult time losing my community to the Eaton fire. I couldn’t find any hope or silver lining in the devastation,” she said. “A fellow Altadenean, who lost everything, showed me the live cams. At the time, Gizmo and Sunny were babies. The first thing I did every morning was tune in to the live cams. It gave me something to wake up for. Jackie and her family gave me hope and gave me giggles and smiles that I thought were lost with the fires. My heart felt lighter when I watched her even to this day as we try to rebuild. Never in my life did I expect an eagle would help me so much emotionally and mentally.”
“My daughter passed in 2020. It was so hard to find joy in anything. One day I was just on YouTube and a live cam came up. It was Jackie and Shadow with new hatchlings,” wrote Robin Britti of Martinsburg, W. Va. “I started to watch every single day. I felt my heart getting a little lighter. She, and the family, really broke through my sadness. They all became a big part of my life. My daughter would have loved watching them. Thank you, Jackie, for giving me some peace back.”
“I started watching Jackie and Shadow in 2021 during the pandemic, and they played a vital role in my personal journey in reconnecting with the outdoors since then,” said El Segundo resident Phil McRae. “Witnessing the beauty, serenity and unrelenting force of nature through their eyes has helped ground me in a chaotic world.”
For some, Jackie was a symbol of America.
“In a momentous year of the United States’ 250th birthday filled with political division, fear and climate change, Jackie’s maternal instincts provided respite,” said WM Wong of Irvine. “She was a beautiful and true representative of our nation.”
“To me she represents the strength and resilience of this great country I love,” said Christine Bunke from Dewey, Ariz. “It may be flawed but it was never not great.”
Readers celebrated Jackie and Shadow’s long partnership in their responses.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley)
Several schoolteachers described bringing the nest cam into their classrooms as a learning tool.
“Jackie brought our fourth-grade class, all the way across the country in Pennsylvania, together in a truly unforgettable way, cementing our class community around a shared love for her and the amazing world of wildlife,” Jen Abato wrote from Doylestown. “We affectionately nicknamed ourselves the ‘Bird Nerds,’ and our classroom became a place where we watched the live feeds, shared excitement, asked questions and learned together.”
By far the most common favorite memory among viewers was witnessing Jackie protect her young from fierce winter storms.
“Last year, when Jackie had triplet eagles, she was nesting on them when they were only days old and she was hit with a HUGE and terrible snowstorm,” recalled Brittany de Temple of Walnut Creek. “I watched through all hours of the night and at one point screamed into my phone ‘YOU’VE GOT THIS, JACKIE!’ startling my entire family awake.”
“I will never forget watching during snowstorms as she never left her eggs, even as she herself was slowly covered by snow until eventually you couldn’t even see her!!” wrote Cassandra Carlson from Champlin, Minn. “So determined, so inspiring, whenever I am faced with a challenge I still think of Jackie in that situation and am inspired to keep going.”
Jackie shakes off snow after being covered during a snowstorm while sitting on her eggs.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley)
Viewers cherished seeing Jackie feed her babies.
“I was always amazed at how she tore delicate shreds of meat from her catch and then so tenderly fed her chicks,” said Long Beach resident Erica Motamed. “She looked so fierce with her powerful, sharp beak and large, powerful, sharp talons, but cared for her chicks so gently and lovingly.”
As fans grieve Jackie, they wonder what’s next for Shadow and the aerie in Big Bear.
“Something has happened and I believe in his own way he is going to be grieving and I feel so sad for him,” said North Carolina’s Wendi Cornett. “All I can think is when his time comes he is going to meet his mate again in heaven.”
Joyce Cooper, an Atwater Village resident, has watched the eagles with her 80-year-old mother and celebrated the birth of each eaglet.
“Jackie and Shadow were a love story for the ages and gave us both hope during very tumultuous times,” she wrote. “We are sad for Shadow, who will never know what happened to his beloved Jackie, but we know life will go on.”
“Sail on, Shadow. Nest again with a new mate,” wrote Margaret Pettis of Hyrum, Utah. “Fill the sky with more precious eagles to make their own nests. You are magnificent!”
Some said that Jackie’s influence would live on, exemplified by a recent successful effort to raise money to buy and conserve land near her nest.
“They deepened my respect for all wildlife, not just bald eagles, and reminded me that we, as humans, must do more to protect wildlife habitats around the world,” South Pasadena’s Annette Gray said. “Seeing Jackie and Shadow’s devoted fans come together to protect the home they shared from human development is the most meaningful tribute to Jackie for the remarkable legacy she has left us.”
