As millions continue to mourn the death of Jackie the bald eagle, attention has turned towards another eagle spotted near Jackie’s former partner Shadow and in their nest.

The female eagle is a banded bird biologists call KD1. She was born in 2022, about 70 miles away from Big Bear Lake in the Prado Basin between Anaheim and Riverside, California . Coincidentally, her parents are also named Lucky and Ricky like Jackie’s parents, but they are a different eagle pair.

According to Orange County Water District wildlife biologist Jenna Carpenter, KD1 was banded as part of their work to track the eagles born in the area. These bands help biologists track and monitor the birds over time. KD1 currently has a black spot on her head, but it may not be permanent. It’s possible that not all of her white feathers have come in or it could be tree sap or dirt.

At almost five years old, KD1 is just about ready to mate. She was recently spotted on Friends of Big Bear Valley’s (FOBBV) livestream inspecting the nest and has also been seen hanging out near Shadow. Flying around Big Bear is completely normal behavior for young adult eagles at this time of year.

Speculation that she will become Shadow’s new mate spread quickly on social media, but it is still too early to know if Shadow will return to the nest and mate. It is currently not breeding and nesting season, so the eagles around the area are primarily thinking about finding food and habitats.

The full bald eagle nesting season lasts over six months, depending on when the fledged chicks leave the area. FOBBV tracks the nesting season beginning on September 1. Eggs are generally laid in January.

To spot KD1 on the nestcam, look for two small bands on her legs. One is a small metal band, while the other is a lavender band with “KD1” on it.

Jackie and Shadow’s story

After the pair became official in 2018, FOBBV’s nest cameras documented Jackie and Shadow’s life together, offering viewers a direct look into the brutality and beauty of nature. They successfully raised chicks in 2019 (Cookie and Simba) and 2022 (Spirit). The pair’s eggs failed to hatch in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, Jackie laid three eggs that all hatched in early March. However, a strong snowstorm dumped up to two feet of snow and battered the nest with strong wind and only two of the chicks (Sunny and Gizmo) survived.

In January, Jackie laid two eggs in the nest, but ravens destroyed them. She later laid two more eggs that hatched in April and named Luna and Sandy. The name Sandy is in honor of FOBBV’s former executive director Sandy Steers who died from cancer in February.

On July 17, Jackie was found injured on the ground near Dana Point Park, California. Cell phone video from a witness confirmed that she had an altercation with two other subadult eagles. She successfully fended off the other eagles by turning over and using her talons, but could not fly far away.

She was transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center for care, where she was diagnosed with severe anemia. Her anemia worsened during the first week of August, the Ojai Raptor Center said that she was in unstable condition on August 9. Her packed cell volume (PCV) fell below percent, before rising to nine percent. Jackie died early in the morning on August 10.