Real Eagles Of Big Bear: Only Shadow Knows Whether He'll Stay Or Go

BIG BEAR, CA — Big Bear's famous bald eagles are once again the topic of massive discussion; this time, the question from fans of the wildlife webcam is whether Shadow wants his new houseguest to stay.

Another eagle from the Prado Wetlands, Kaydee, has been doing some house hunting in Shadow's now vacant nest. She's taken a liking to the camera, often cranes her neck to inspect the device, and has been seen moving sticks and rubbing shoulders with Shadow. But does he want her to stay?

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It's almost impossible to talk about the bald eagles without getting into soap opera mode. Even the antics of the bald eagles read a bit like an episode of "Love Island," or "Real Housewives," but this is indeed real life.

Friends of Big Bear Valley, which operates a webcam aimed at the famous nest, has been upfront about a new eagle attempting to find her place here. But we all rush to the comments to see what fans say about them. Many who adored the Friends of Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle family find it difficult not to put human emotions on the wildlife we've come to know and love.

Why is Shadow already looking for a new mate? Don't they mourn or feel sad?

On Thursday, a commenter summed up her curiosity in the eagles, saying:

"In the past, once their eaglets fledge, Jackie and Shadow would leave and not return to the nest, maybe a couple of time soon after the fledgling, so I am wondering what is going on in Shadow's head. He keeps returning to the nest, remaining there for several minutes. Why? Mourning? Not certain Jackie, his long-time mate is gone for good, so he returns...just in case....Too bad, we'll never know."

Indeed, 2026 has been a tragic tale for those who watched the eagle webcam daily.

Jackie, Shadow's mate of many years, died this summer as a result of a complicated set of health issues. Her cause of death remains under investigation. She still has a special place in the hearts of millions and those who remain loyal to her memory.

Shadow, Jackie's longtime partner, is the one who was left behind who is hanging out near the nest where they have raised many eaglets to fledge.

Kaydee is the new visitor to Shadow's nest. She frequently hangs out with him, chortling and calling and moving sticks to put her stamp on the nest.

But eagles are wild, and unlike humans, we will never know exactly what Shadow thinks of this new visitor beyond her moving his sticks in his nest. Shadow mainly concerns himself with fishing for gorgeous Big Bear Lake trout in the off-season.

Still, early Friday morning, the pair were seen hanging out together in a nearby tree. Is this a friendship? Or could it be something more?

We look to wildlife biologists for further clues if KD-1, now officially known as Kaydee, will stick around.

The eagle was hatched at the Prado Dam wetlands in 2022, and has made her way back to Southern California after fledging the nest of her parents, Ricky and Lucy, according to Southern California wildlife biologist Jenna Carpenter of the Orange County Water District.

"Kaydee was banded along with a sibling in April of 2022," Carpenter said. This practice makes her easy to identify.

Kaydee is now nearly 5 years old, and though young, she is expected to be of egg laying age this year.

Pete Bloom, a raptor biologist, has told reporters that he feels it is "highly likely" the pair will bond.

The current most important question remains: What does Shadow think about her being there? The pair have preened, moved sticks, and otherwise checked each other out.

"We cannot know what Shadow is thinking or feeling. Over the last week, we did observe Shadow getting a bit testy with Kaydee. It is possible that Shadow is just not ready for Kaydee's flirty eagle advances or maybe not interested in Kaydee at all."

On Friday morning, the pair hung out watching the lake for about 15 minutes. Then, when one eagle flew off at about 6:18 a.m., the other followed.

Carpenter has watched the young eagle flourish and fledge, and now return to the nest.

"Kaydee was banded on the ground after being carefully removed from her nest. The eagle was brought back to the nest and is a healthy, adult eagle," Carpenter said.

Nesting in Big Bear typically starts in October or November and ramps up in December as fans eagerly await what happens next.

Meanwhile, the Ojai Raptor Center, which cared for Jackie in her final weeks, is still researching the cause of her death from a mysterious illness. No updates have yet been given.