Shadow spotted with new eagle companion KD1, just a week after Jackie's death

Less than two weeks after losing Jackie — Big Bear Lake's beloved bald eagle and a figure that drew millions of viewers from around the world — her longtime mate Shadow has been spotted perching alongside a new companion. The other eagle, KD1, also known as "KayDee," was seen with Shadow at his nest area in Fawnskin, and the eagle-watching community is already wondering whether a new chapter could be unfolding in the San Bernardino Mountains.^[1]

Jackie's legacy

Jackie was no ordinary bird. In summer 2012, she became the first documented bald eagle chick hatched in Big Bear Valley — a milestone in the slow recovery of the species in Southern California.^[2] She and Shadow built a nest in Fawnskin near Big Bear Lake, where they eventually raised eaglets Sandy and Luna together.^[2]

In October 2015, the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley installed a 24/7 livestream camera at the nest, and since then millions of viewers worldwide have tuned in to watch the family.^[2] For many of those fans, Jackie, Shadow, Sandy, and Luna became something like neighbors — familiar presences through every season.

Jackie died on August 9, 2026, at the Ojai Raptor Center, where she had been receiving care. According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials, she experienced a large blood clot in her wing and kidney along with another decline in her blood values just before her death.^[2] Her remains will be sent to the National Eagle Repository in Colorado, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facility that distributes eagle remains, feathers, and parts to enrolled members of federally recognized tribes for religious, cultural, and ceremonial purposes.^[2]

What Shadow and KD1's pairing might mean

Bald eagles are generally known for long-term pair bonds, which makes the appearance of KD1 so soon after Jackie's death a notable development for eagle watchers.^[1] Fans monitoring the Friends of Big Bear Valley's live nest cam are speculating whether KayDee will settle in as Shadow's new mate and eventually help raise eaglets at the Fawnskin nest.^[1]

What remains unclear is what this pairing actually signals scientifically. Neither Friends of Big Bear Valley — the organization that operates the nest cam — nor wildlife biologists have publicly commented on the sighting to put KD1's appearance in broader ornithological context. Whether Shadow and KD1's time together represents early courtship behavior, a casual encounter, or something else is not yet established in available reporting.

For now, the nest cam remains the best window into what happens next. The Friends of Big Bear Valley stream is available on their YouTube channel at @FOBBVCAM (opens in a new tab), where viewers around the world continue to watch Shadow's territory around the clock.