Jackie the bald eagle suffers ‘setback.’ Here’s the latest on her recovery
Wildlife officials shared an update Monday afternoon on the condition of Jackie the bald eagle as she continues to battle an illness following a fight with two subadult bald eagles.
The Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie’s condition is “stable but critical” as she remains in intensive care and receives round-the-clock treatment.
The team at Ojai Raptor Center is still working to determine the underlying cause of her illness. She’s currently receiving prophylactic treatments to help support her body.
“After showing encouraging improvement following her blood transfusion, she experienced a setback on Saturday when her blood values declined again,” veterinarians said.
The Ojai Raptor Center shared new video of Jackie the bald eagle on Monday, July 27, 2026. (Ojai Raptor Center)
There is some positive news in her recovery, however. Since this setback, rescuers said Jackie has improved and is said to be eating on her own and her energy and alertness have “noticeably improved.”
“She has become much more feisty during feedings,” officials said.
Wildlife officials said that one of the most encouraging changes they’ve seen is her packed cell volume, which measures the percentage of red blood cells in her bloodstream. It increased from 8 percent before the weekend to 16 percent on Monday.
“While this remains below normal, it is an encouraging improvement, and we will continue to monitor her bloodwork daily as we keep a close eye on her progress,” Ojai Raptor Center said.
Despite extensive testing and consulting with wildlife veterinarians, there’s still no definitive diagnosis for Jackie.
“Cases like this can be incredibly complex, and we will continue adjusting her treatment as new information becomes available,” they said.
Expert on subadult female seen with Shadow
While Jackie has been away from the nest receiving care, her mate, Shadow, was seen spending time with another female eagle on their Twin Pines perch as he continues to guard the nest back home.
“It looked like Shadow had a lot to say about the subadult being on his perch tree,” Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit which operates the wildly-popular bald eagle live cam, said in an update posted last week.
The nonprofit said it’s possibly the same subadult female that has been hanging around and had the short skirmish with Jackie, although it’s difficult to be certain.
FOBBV shared more information on Monday on this subadult female from an eagle expert and conservationist that should at least make eagle fans feel better about a new eagle possibly swooping in on Jackie’s mate.
Dr. Peter Sharpe aged the eagle at approximately 3.5 years old. Bald eagles generally reach full maturity at 5 years old, though they can be ready to mate and lay eggs at the age of 4, he said — although that is not as common.
Sharpe said he feels it’s a bit early for this subadult female to be looking for nesting territory or a mate.
Another expert previously told FOBBV that due to the incredible bond Jackie and Shadow have, it’s unlikely for him to move on so soon. He likely won’t be looking for a mate until his hormones kick in, which is estimated to be towards the end of December or early January.
