Shadow and Kaydee first spent time together in his longtime nest on Thursday, Aug. 13. Their relationship has only blossomed since, with Kaydee seeming to follow Shadow just about wherever he goes.
See Jackie’s death brings TikTok to tears
Fans mourn Jackie the bald eagle of Big Bear Valley, as heartfelt tributes pour in for her and longtime mate Shadow.
It’s official. Shadow the famed bald eagle’s new companion has been named Kaydee.
Shadow and Kaydee have been spending a lot of time together in the home he used to share with Jackie in Big Bear Valley in Southern California before the beloved female’s death last week. Shadow and Kaydee have been together so much, in fact, the group that made the eagles famous took the rare step of officially naming her Kaydee.
Normally, the group doesn’t name visiting eagles in the area until they’ve been around long-term.
“Until now,” the group, Friends of Big Bear Valley, announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Aug. 19. “We have chosen to name (the eagle) Kaydee, whether or not they decide to stay in the area.”
The name comes from the band around Kaydee’s ankle that wildlife officials use to learn more about eagles. The band was labeled “KD1,” so fans of the eagles have been referring to her as KD, Katie and Kaydee ever since she showed up at Jackie and Shadow’s longtime nest on Monday, Aug. 10.
Some fans of Jackie, who died of a mysterious illness at the age of 14, believe that she mystically sent Kaydee to Shadow. Others are simply taking comfort in that Shadow isn’t alone while he mourns the loss of his partner of nearly a decade and the mother of all his eaglets.
Here’s the latest on the blossoming relationship between Shadow and Kaydee.
‘Shadow has a shadow!’ New relationship is blossoming
Shadow and Kaydee first spent time together in his longtime nest on Thursday, Aug. 13, three days after Jackie’s death was announced but about a month since Shadow last saw his mate before her hospitalization. As fans around the world watched, Shadow and Kaydee appeared to touch beaks as they checked each other out in the nest. Kaydee even picked up a few sticks and moved them around, leading some to joke that she was already rearranging the furniture.
Shadow and Kaydee were back together again on Friday, Aug. 14, when another live camera captured them perching near each other in the same tree for about two hours.
Their relationship has only blossomed since.
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, Shadow and Kaydee spent more time together in a favored roost tree. On the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 19, they “both belted out good mornings to the valley below,” Friends of Big Bear Valley said.
Later in the afternoon, Shadow flew into a perch tree and less than a minute later, Kaydee joined him on a nearby branch. They stayed perched near each other for about three hours. And when Shadow left, Kaydee followed two seconds later, the group said.
“Shadow has a shadow!” the group said.
The eagles were back together in the roost tree in the evening and ended the day by chortling near each other, a behavior fans are used to seeing him do only with Jackie or his eaglets.
“Welcome Kaydee to the Big Bear Family,” Tracy Heron-Fedele posted on Facebook. Brenda Oninski joked: “Kaydee and Shadow sitting a tree …” Terri Fox opined: “I think Jackie sent Kaydee to Shadow and we are here for it!”
Though fans of the eagles are finding comfort in joy in Kaydee’s presence, Jackie’s loss remains heavy on their minds and hearts.
“Our hearts are broken by the loss of Jackie and though we know this is nature, it will take time for all of us, including all of you, to get through this,” Friends of Big Bear Valley said in the post about naming Kaydee.
Eagle fan Anna Marie Bell said that “Jackie’s legacy is that she allowed all of us to be part of her life, her family, her journey.”
“For that we’re all so eternally grateful,” she continued. “Rest easy Jackie. Your job is done.”
Will Shadow and Kaydee mate?
Only time will tell if Shadow and Kaydee will mate.
Eagle mating hormones don’t kick in until December or January in California. For the past eight years, that’s when Jackie and Shadow have mated and begun reinforcing their longtime nest.
Though most eagles mate for life, Shadow wasn’t Jackie’s only mate. Her first mate was known as Mr. B, and the pair had two baby eagles in 2018. One of the eaglets died after a 24-hour rainstorm, but the other, named Stormy, survived and left Big Bear that summer.
Soon after, a new male came to town, chased off Mr. B and stole Jackie’s heart. That interloper was Shadow.
While wildlife experts don’t know if Kaydee will be Shadow’s next love, they agree that he will mate again and father more eaglets.
“He’s got some time,” Friends of Big Bear Valley spokeswoman Jenny Voisard told USA TODAY. “All we can do is watch and see.”
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold case investigations, breaking news − and sometimes eagles − for USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat.