Since the beginning of this year, we’ve been following this feathered reality show, watching Jackie and Shadow care for the eggs, witness the hatching, their first meals, and most recently, the long-awaited first flights of the little flying sisters, Sunny and Gizmo.
After taking their first big step (or should we say flight…), Big Bear eagles fans can now delight in seeing the whole family soaring together: both sisters glide through the skies, closely followed by their parents, who act as flight coaches. But now that they’ve taken off, what’s the next milestone Sunny and Gizmo need to conquer to become full-fledged bald eagles in all their glory?
According to the American Eagle Foundation, once eaglets fly for the first time, what follows is what we’re seeing now: training. These flights are accompanied by the parents, who make sure they learn all the skills necessary for survival (mastering flight and hunting!). These supervised family flights continue for 4 to 12 weeks within the nesting territory.
During these weeks of training with mom and dad, the next milestone the eaglets must achieve is definitely hunting. Although it will take them years to perfect this skill, during these training months we should be able to see Sunny or Gizmo bringing a delicious, juicy fish (or whatever they catch!) back to the family nest for the first time.
Bald eagles typically leave the nest and become independent, about 10 to 12 weeks after their first flight. During this period, they continue flying and practicing near the nest while their parents keep feeding and supervising them. Once they master flying and hunting, they start living independently. You’ll need to prepare the tissues to watch them grow, become independent, and leave their parents behind…
After the post-fledging dependency period, young eagles gradually become more independent and eventually leave their parents’ territory. During this time, their plumage continues to develop, transitioning from juvenile brown feathers to the distinctive white head and tail of adult bald eagles. This full adult plumage usually appears when they are about 4 to 5 years old, marking their true transformation into mature bald eagles.
As we mentioned, in a few months the eaglets will be independent and leave the family nest and this season of Keeping Up with the Big Bear Eagles will be over… But another one will come soon, probably featuring new characters once Jackie lays new eggs next year!