Shadow and KD1 at Big Bear gave eagle watchers another fascinating scene on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
Update, August 10, 2026: Since this story was published, We have learned that Jackie has passed early this morning while under the care of Ojai Raptor Center. We will have a full update soon. 😞
Watch Live → Big Bear nest and read community discussion.
After spending the night in the same roost tree, Shadow and the banded young bald eagle KD1 moved through familiar parts of the Big Bear territory. Later that morning, they ended up together again in the Twin Pines. They perched on separate branches, exchanged vocals and then settled quietly into the morning. KD1 eventually flew away.
Receive updates like this one in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter. 🦅
Shadow stayed behind, and before long, rain began falling across the valley. He remained perched through the shower before finally taking off. It was a peaceful summer scene, but KD1’s continued presence around Shadow has also raised a much bigger question. What exactly is happening between these two eagles?
Shadow And KD1 Begin Sunday Morning Around Big Bear
The morning started after Shadow and KD1 had apparently spent Saturday night in the Roost Tree near the Big Bear nest. Around sunrise, KD1 flew to the Cactus Snag and perched while morning light spread across Big Bear. As KD1 left that area, Shadow appeared in flight toward the Lookout Snag.
Shadow then settled onto the familiar perch and watched over his territory. About 25 minutes later, he took off again. He may have been heading toward Big Bear Lake to forage, although the cameras could not confirm his destination. By midmorning, KD1 had moved to the Twin Pines. Then Shadow arrived.
Shadow Joins KD1 In The Twin Pines
Instead of chasing KD1 away, Shadow landed on another branch of the Twin Pines. Shadow began vocalizing. KD1 answered.
For a short time, the two eagles called while perched near one another. The exchange could have served as a greeting or another form of social communication. However, eagle vocalizations can have several meanings, so there is no way to know exactly what the two birds were communicating.
Their behavior soon became quiet. KD1 eventually left the Twin Pines while Shadow remained behind. Seeing another eagle perched this close to Shadow naturally attracts attention, especially because viewers have spent years watching Jackie beside him. However, this single interaction does not establish that Shadow and KD1 are courting or forming a pair.
Bald eagles maintain breeding territories, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that they commonly roost with other bald eagles outside breeding activity. Those gatherings can include considerable interaction and vocalizing. For now, the safest conclusion is also the simplest one. Shadow tolerated another eagle nearby during the off-season.
Shadow Gets A Summer Rain Shower
After KD1 departed, the weather provided the morning’s final memorable moment. Rain began falling while Shadow remained perched in the Twin Pines. Instead of immediately leaving, he stayed on the branch as the shower moved through Big Bear. The rain darkened his feathers while he sat quietly above the valley.
Eventually, Shadow flew away. After weeks filled with dramatic changes around the Big Bear eagle family, the scene offered something much quieter: Shadow perched beneath the rain with the mountains disappearing into the wet summer air around him.
Who Is KD1?
KD1 is not an unidentified newcomer anymore. The visiting bald eagle wears a lavender leg band marked with the white code KD1. According to the banding information associated with the eagle, KD1 hatched in 2022 in the Prado Basin area of Southern California and was banded on April 8, 2022, while still too young to fly.
That makes KD1 about 4 years old and approaching full adult appearance. The eagle already has a mostly white head. However, a noticeable patch of darker feathers remains on the crown. That feature, together with the lavender band, can help distinguish KD1 from other young eagles visiting Big Bear. Bald eagles generally develop their familiar adult white head and tail by about 5 years of age.
Is KD1 Male Or Female?
That remains unknown. The official banding information lists KD1’s sex as unknown. Therefore, viewers should not assume KD1 is female simply because the eagle spends time near Shadow at Big Bear. Apparent body size, proximity to Shadow and social behavior seen on camera are not enough to establish the bird’s sex.
Unless additional verified information becomes available, KD1 should continue to be described as an eagle of unknown sex.
Why Are So Many Young Eagles Appearing Around Big Bear?
KD1 is only one of several young bald eagles spotted around the Big Bear Lake area this summer. That activity may seem unusual to viewers accustomed to seeing Jackie and Shadow dominate the landscape. However, it makes sense when the season and the habitat are considered.
Young eagles without established breeding territories can wander considerable distances while searching for productive feeding areas. Immature bald eagles wander more widely in search of food. Nonbreeding eagles commonly gather around areas that offer reliable food and suitable roosting habitat.
Big Bear Lake offers exactly the kind of environment that can attract passing eagles. Fish make up an important part of a bald eagle’s diet, and lakes provide both feeding opportunities and nearby trees for resting, watching and roosting. So the recent parade of younger eagles does not necessarily signal a change in ownership of Jackie and Shadow’s territory. Some may simply be passing through.
Is Shadow Looking For A New Mate?
There is no evidence from Sunday’s interaction that Shadow has chosen KD1 as a new mate. KD1 is reaching the age when bald eagles can become capable of breeding. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service information says most bald eagles can breed by 4 or 5 years old, although many do not begin breeding until later.
Still, age alone does not make an interaction courtship. The timing also matters. This is not the period when Jackie and Shadow normally show their strongest nest-focused behavior. In previous years, their attention begins shifting back toward nest work and pair bonding during the fall and intensifies as winter approaches. Friends of Big Bear Valley has documented Jackie and Shadow beginning nest rebuilding and rebonding months before egg season.
Right now, Shadow has much less reason to aggressively guard the nest from every passing young eagle. Sandy and Luna have dispersed from the immediate area, and the intense demands of raising eaglets have ended. That makes peaceful encounters with visiting eagles much less surprising.
KD1’s Presence Does Not Replace Jackie
Perhaps the most important distinction is also the easiest one to lose when watching these interactions. KD1 being near Shadow does not tell us what will happen next. It does not prove courtship. It does not establish a new pair. And it does not tell us anything about how Shadow would respond if Jackie returned to Big Bear.
For now, KD1 is a fascinating young wild eagle moving through an area with good habitat and food opportunities. Shadow is continuing his own normal daily activities within his territory. Their paths happen to be crossing. What comes next will have to unfold on eagle time.
Jackie Remains Critically Ill At Ojai Raptor Center
While Shadow continues his life in Big Bear, Jackie remains under intensive veterinary care at Ojai Raptor Center. The center reported another serious update on August 9.
Jackie, identified by the center as Bald Eagle Patient 26-519, remained critically ill and unstable. Her packed cell volume, or PCV, had fallen below 6% on August 8. By August 9, it had risen to 9%.
Although that increase represented a small improvement, Ojai Raptor Center emphasized that the number remained critically low and Jackie’s overall condition was still extremely serious. Her case is being evaluated by a collaborative team that includes nine veterinarians, along with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The center said its focus remains on Jackie’s welfare and on making medical decisions based on what is best for her. No further medical conclusions should be drawn until her care team releases additional information.
Two Very Different Scenes In The Big Bear Eagle Story
Sunday brought two very different pictures of the Big Bear eagle family. In the mountains, Shadow moved from perch to perch, vocalized with a visiting young eagle and sat quietly through a summer rain shower.
Miles away, Jackie remained surrounded by specialists fighting to stabilize a dangerously ill bald eagle. Meanwhile, Big Bear continues to fill with young eagles moving through the landscape.
KD1 may stay for a while. KD1 may disappear tomorrow and continue wandering. Other eagles may arrive. There is simply no way to know yet. For now, Shadow remains in Big Bear. KD1 remains an intriguing visitor.
And Jackie remains where she needs to be, receiving intensive professional care while an enormous community continues hoping for better news.
Lady Hawk recorded and shared the video on YouTube. The Friends of Big Bear Valley make this live cam experience possible.