People across the nation were thrilled when a pair of famous bald eagles named Jackie and Shadow welcomed three eaglets to the world in early March, with the mama and papa tending to their babies in the California mountains.

Tragically, one of the baby birds recently died during a vicious storm that swept through portions of the U.S. At least 40 people were killed, as harsh winter weather slammed seven states.

Friends of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit organization, previously said all three eagles were thriving. But the organization later said one of them didn’t survive the treacherous snowstorm that walloped the West Coast.

“We are deeply saddened to report that one of Jackie and Shadow’s chicks did not make it through the winter storm that brought 2 feet of snow to the area. As snow melted, the shorter snow berm made that chick partially visible in the nest bowl,” the nonprofit wrote on social media early Sunday morning. “The chick’s passing happened sometime after all three were observed together getting fed at 6 pm on 3/13. We have no way to know what happened or why the chick passed. We also do not know which chick it was because they were all very close in size.”

Friends of Big Bear Valley, which has been livestreaming the bald eagles, also said Shadow was seen removing the baby bird’s body from the nest.

Footage captured the moment the daddy bird separated the baby’s motionless body from it’s siblings. One of the adult eagles later flew the baby away from the nest, according to the nonprofit.

“We understand that this news is very hard to hear. Even when nature is difficult to watch, and sometimes even harder to understand, we must trust that it has its reasons. Please allow yourself to feel the sadness; please allow yourself to feel whatever you feel,” the nonprofit said.

“In the midst of the sadness, we want to honor the life of this chick for its courage in getting as far as it did and for the joy it brought to us in its short time here,” it said.

The nonprofit said the other two babies “are doing well,” as Jackie fed them both earlier on Sunday.

“As they stood up and sometimes tripped over each other, they each got a few large bites,” the organization said. “Jackie had trouble pulling the pieces apart small enough, but both chicks managed to get the giant bits into their tiny mouths.”

The nonprofit said the surviving “fluff balls” will be full grown in about 10 weeks. In time, they will soon have names.

“In the next week or so we will have information about how to participate in the chick-naming contest,” the nonprofit said. “The Big Bear elementary students help with the final selection.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said bald eagles are “an Endangered Species Act success story,” as the birds were in danger of extinction “throughout most of its range” during the mid-1900s.

“Bald eagles were decimated by habitat destruction and degradation, as well as illegal shooting and the contamination of their food source by the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, known as DDT,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service noted online. But the birds made a comeback and are now thriving.

“Habitat protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act, the federal government’s banning of DDT, and conservation actions taken by the American public have helped bald eagles make a remarkable recovery,” the agency said. “Bald eagle sightings are now a common occurrence in many parts of the country.”

In 2024, the bald eagle was officially made the national bird of the U.S.

Have a news tip? Contact Jessica Botelho at jabotelho@sbgtv.com or at x.com/J_Botelho_TND.