Hours after celebrity bald eagle Jackie’s death was announced Monday, a new beaked face showed up in the Big Bear nest she shared with her mate, Shadow.
The newcomer was KD1, a 4½-year-old eagle who has since become a repeat visitor to the aerie that’s livestreamed around the clock, earning its inhabitants worldwide internet fame.
On Thursday afternoon, Shadow glided into the nest with KD1 not far behind, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit that runs the livestream.
“Is this a new bond forming between these 2?” the nonprofit wrote in a social media post. “Well, it could be and it may not be, only time will tell.”
Breeding season begins later in the fall or winter.
Observers were able to identify the younger eagle because it was banded around the leg by the Orange County Water District in April 2022 in the Prado Basin, some 70 miles from Big Bear. The basin includes wetlands where water is diverted from the Santa Ana River. “KD1” is inscribed on the lavender band. Coincidentally, KD1’s parents had the same names as Jackie’s — Ricky and Lucy — but are not the same pair.
Experts suspect KD1 is female but aren’t certain.
“At this time, seeing KD1 hang out near and next to Shadow, this bird looks like a big bird, which would lean female,” Jenna Carpenter, a wildlife biologist with the water district, said in a Facebook video. “Female raptors are most often larger than the males, but we are still not 100% sure.”
If they’re right about KD1’s gender, the eagle could be mate material, added Carpenter, who was there when the eagle was banded. KD1 is nearing the breeding age of five.
KD1 was first spotted on the nonprofit’s cameras on Aug. 6, while Jackie was in critical care. “As the days progressed, the subadult started to perch near Shadow in several of his favored trees,” the nonprofit wrote.
Sandy and Luna, two eaglets raised by Jackie and Shadow this year, were last seen in the area on July 23. It’s believed they’ve since left the area, triggering Shadow’s “summer vacation,” when eagles visit the nest only occasionally, the nonprofit said.
KD1’s appearance has sparked varied reactions from fans of Big Bear’s famed eagles. Many are glad that Shadow has company but others have questioned how soon Shadow appeared to move on. Some have even labeled the new eagle “Jolene,” a nod to the Dolly Parton song about one woman begging another not to steal her partner.
“I believe in signs. And perhaps this new eagle was sent from Jackie as a sign to Shadow that she crossed the rainbow bridge and it was okay for him to move on,” one Facebook user wrote. “It makes my heart happy to think so.”
“Not sure how I feel about KD1 throwing herself at Shadow the way she is. Brazen!” quipped another, adding a laughing emoji.
Shadow and Jackie first paired up in the summer of 2018, when Shadow pushed out her former mate.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley)
Jackie died Sunday night at the Ojai Raptor Center, which had cared for her since she was rescued from the shore of Big Bear Lake in mid-July. The 14-year-old eagle was found weak and unable to fly after sparring with younger eagles.
Experts later determined she suffered from severe anemia; blood clots in both wings and one kidney; liver and lung abnormalities; and inadequate bone marrow response.
Despite intensive treatment for more than three weeks, her condition deteriorated in the days leading up to her death. The center reported that she was no longer able to keep food down and experienced a significant decline in her packed cell volume, which measures the percentage of red blood cells in the bloodstream.
“Despite the significant efforts from specialists to administer care, medical treatment and extensive testing, veterinarians did not identify one definitive cause for her poor condition,” the center said on its website.
Results of a necropsy by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance are not yet available.
Her remains will ultimately be sent to the National Eagle Repository, a facility operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It stores and distributes eagle remains, parts and feathers to federally recognized tribes for religious, cultural and ceremonial purposes.
News of Jackie’s death sent ripples of mourning through her fan base, with thousands taking to social media to express their condolences and praise the avian matriarch. Many also wondered what would become of Shadow, her mate of eight years.
Jackie had admirers in high places. Sen. Adam Schiff wrote on Twitter that his Washington office broadcast the nest livestream, along with C-SPAN and national news.
“We join all of California of mourning the passing of one of our most famous icons,” he said.
Regardless what happens next for the Big Bear nest, the livestream will stay active, said Jenny Voisard, spokesperson for Friends of Big Bear Valley.
“We don’t know what [Shadow’s] going to choose,” she said. “He could stay here and take a new mate. He could go someplace else. But the cameras will still be there.”
