Our feathers were ruffled to the core to learn of the untimely passing on August 10 of Jackie, the singular American bald eagle of Big Bear Lake in California. She was only 14! A rare scandal-free reality TV star, Jackie welcomed viewers far and wide via livestream to view life from the treetop where she and her partner of a decade, Shadow, navigated the rough winds of parenthood. In our previous coverage, I expressed my deepest condolences to Shadow during this time of bald grief and raw emo— OH MY GOD HE’S ALREADY MOVED ON! That little scamp! How serious is it? Too serious, if you ask me! Serious enough that Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit folks who set up the nest cam, broke protocol and already gave this new chick a name! Usually they don’t name visitors, only long-term residents. But they thought Shadow and Kaydee (taken from an ID band on her ankle labeled “KD1”) were spending so much time together they went ahead and christened her. Here’s more on the lovebirds’ newly hatched romance:

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.

…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.

[From USA Today]

Wow. I really did not expect this typical man behavior from Shadow. You guys, he brought Kaydee back to the nest he shared with Jackie only three days after her death! Worse yet, he let Kaydee move twigs around! Then mere days later, the pair are CHORTLING together, something he’d only ever done with Jackie and their children. I am simply outraged! Yes yes yes, life is short and we all do what we can to get over heartache, but come on. Jackie was a one in a million eagle. And speaking of, Friends of Big Bear Valley have announced they’re planning a community event memorial for Jackie, tentatively scheduled for October 3. (A gesture so lovely, I’ll overlook the awkward fact they slipped this announcement in at the end of the post revealing Kaydee’s name.) If you’re in the neighborhood and are able, please go on behalf of all of us bitches! And while you’re there, give Shadow a good & loud squawking to from me!