What Is the Big Bear Bald Eagle Nest Cam?

The Big Bear Bald Eagle Nest Cam is a 24-hour live stream of an active bald eagle nest in Big Bear Lake, California, maintained by Friends of Big Bear Valley, a local nonprofit wildlife conservation organization. The cam has been running for over a decade, giving nature enthusiasts around the world a continuous, high-definition view of one of North America's most iconic birds raising its young.

Each season, a nesting pair of bald eagles returns to the same tree, lays eggs, and raises eaglets through the entire cycle — from incubation to first flight. The community of viewers that follows each season numbers in the tens of thousands, and individual eaglets are given names by the Friends of Big Bear Valley organization. Sandy is among the eaglets that viewers have been tracking closely this season, and searching for updates on Sandy's progress has driven a surge of traffic to the cam.

The nest is located in a tall conifer in the San Bernardino Mountains and is positioned so the cam captures clear footage in daylight and low-light conditions. A second angle occasionally switches to a wide-view cam that shows the surrounding forest and the lake beyond.

Where to Watch the Live Stream

There are two main places to find the live feed, both completely free:

• Official website: Go to friendsofbigbearvalley.org and navigate to the Eagle Cam section. The embedded player runs around the clock with no account required. This page also carries text updates from the organization during active periods.
• YouTube: Search for Friends of Big Bear Valley on YouTube or browse directly to their channel. The live stream appears as an ongoing live event when the cam is active. Archived highlight clips, full-day recordings, and season playlists are organized in the Videos tab.

For mobile viewing, the YouTube app on iOS or Android is the easiest option. Tap the bell icon on the channel page to enable push notifications — the organization sends alerts when major events like feedings or flight attempts are about to happen.

If you want the stream on a large television, cast from your phone using Chromecast or AirPlay, or open the YouTube app directly on a smart TV and search for the channel. A 5 Mbps internet connection is sufficient for smooth 1080p playback.

Best Times to Watch the Eaglets

Bald eagle activity follows a predictable daily rhythm. Tuning in at the right times makes the difference between watching a quiet nest and catching a feeding or flight attempt.

• Early morning (6–9 AM Pacific): The adult eagles are most likely to arrive with fresh prey — fish pulled from Big Bear Lake, rabbits, or ground squirrels from the surrounding forest. This is the single best window for watching a feeding. Eaglets are alert and active early in the day.
• Late afternoon (3–6 PM Pacific): A second active window. As eaglets mature, they spend this period aggressively wing-flapping to build flight muscles, a behavior called branching or wingercising. In the weeks before fledging, late afternoon activity becomes intense.
• Midday: Activity tends to slow. Adults are often away hunting and eaglets rest. This is a good time to observe the nest's structure and how much the eaglets have grown since you last watched.
• Dusk: Adults return to settle in. Watch for the pair interacting, rearranging nest material, and mantling (spreading wings over the eaglets) as darkness falls.

During the fledging period — typically May through early July — eaglets become dramatically more restless and active. In the two to three days before first flight, they frequently stand on the nest edge looking out over the forest. This is the most-watched window of the entire season.

How to Track Sandy's Progress

You don't have to watch the live cam 24/7 to stay current on Sandy's development. Several channels make it easy to follow along even with a busy schedule:

• YouTube live chat: The Friends of Big Bear Valley YouTube stream has an active community chat running whenever the cam is live. Long-time viewers call out feedings, wing-flapping sessions, and unusual nest visitors in real time. Leave the chat panel open while you watch — it acts as a second pair of eyes on the nest.
• Facebook page: Search Friends of Big Bear Valley on Facebook. The organization posts daily updates, milestone announcements (first feeding, first branch hop, first flight), and short video clips. This is the fastest way to learn if something major happened while you were offline.
• YouTube highlight clips: If you miss a live event, check the channel's Videos tab within a few hours. The team regularly cuts and posts highlights tagged with the eaglet's name, so searching for "Sandy" in the channel's video library will surface the key moments.
• Email newsletter: The organization offers seasonal email updates, especially as fledging approaches. Sign up through the website if you want a weekly digest rather than checking daily.

Eaglet Development Stages: What You're Watching

The cam is more rewarding when you can identify what stage of development Sandy and the other eaglets are in. Here is the full progression from egg to flight:

1. Hatching (late February–March): Eaglets break out of the shell over 24–48 hours. This process, called pipping, begins with a small crack and ends with the hatchling emerging wet and exhausted. The first sounds are subtle cheeping calls.
2. Brooding (weeks 1–3): Adults cover the hatchlings almost constantly to regulate body temperature. You'll see small heads popping out during feedings — the adult tears off tiny pieces of meat and places them directly into the eaglet's beak.
3. Downy phase (weeks 2–5): Eaglets are covered in pale gray down and grow at a visible rate. They begin holding their heads up independently. If there are multiple eaglets, watch for competition at feeding time — the largest eaglet often positions itself closest to the food.
4. Feathering (weeks 5–9): Brown juvenile feathers replace the gray down starting at the wings and tail. The eaglets stand upright and begin exploring the edges of the nest.
5. Branching (weeks 9–11): This is the pre-flight phase. Eaglets hop to nearby branches and flap their wings vigorously, sometimes lifting slightly off the branch (called helicoptering). This builds the flight muscles needed for sustained flight.
6. Fledging (weeks 11–13): First flight. This typically happens suddenly — an eaglet launches from the nest edge and either lands cleanly on a nearby branch or, more dramatically, glides out over the lake. The cam community often waits days or weeks for this moment.

After fledging, the young eagles return to the nest area regularly for several more weeks while they learn to hunt. Watch for them circling above the tree line or returning to be fed by the adults.

How to Support the Big Bear Eagle Conservation Effort

Friends of Big Bear Valley is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The cam, eagle monitoring program, and community education are funded primarily through viewer donations:

• Direct donation: Visit friendsofbigbearvalley.org and use the Donate button. You can give a one-time amount or set up a monthly recurring contribution. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States.
• Spread the stream: Every new subscriber and viewer increases the reach of their conservation message and strengthens the case for continued funding. Share the YouTube channel with schools, nature groups, or family members who enjoy wildlife.
• Eagle adoption: In some seasons, Friends of Big Bear Valley offers symbolic eagle adoptions in exchange for a donation. These typically include a certificate, a photo, and seasonal updates on the specific eagle.
• Local volunteering: If you live in or visit the Big Bear Lake area, the organization holds cleanup events, educational programs, and field monitoring efforts that welcome volunteers. Check the website's Events section for upcoming opportunities.

The cam equipment itself — cameras, weather-proofing, power, and streaming bandwidth — represents a significant ongoing expense. Even a small monthly contribution helps ensure the stream stays live through the full season.

Practical Tips for a Better Cam Watching Experience

A few habits from experienced cam viewers that make the experience noticeably better:

• Watch on the largest screen available. The cam captures HD footage and nest details — egg texture, feather development, prey identification — are far easier to see on a monitor or television than on a phone screen.
• Enable YouTube channel notifications. Tap the bell icon on the Friends of Big Bear Valley channel and select All to receive push alerts. The organization typically goes live with a special broadcast when a major event is imminent.
• Read the pinned chat comments. During live streams, moderators pin real-time updates at the top of the chat window — current eaglet count, what the adults brought for food, and whether a flight attempt is building.
• Bookmark the season highlight playlist. At the start of each season, the YouTube channel creates a playlist of key clips. Bookmarking it lets you catch up on what you missed without scrolling through the full archive.
• Be patient during quiet periods. Bald eagles can sit motionless for hours. Long stretches of inactivity are normal and are part of the authentic experience. When action does happen — a fish delivery, a sibling squabble, a first flight — it happens fast. Viewers who stay through the quiet patches are the ones who catch those moments live.