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Big Bear Nest Visitor Is Officially Named Kaydee as She Appears with Shadow After Jackie’s Death

Authorities are awaiting necropsy findings and seasonal mating signals before saying whether the banded visitor will become Shadow’s new mate.

Overview

  • Jackie died on August 10 after weeks of treatment at the Ojai Raptor Center and her remains were necropsied, with further toxicology and federal review still pending.
  • Friends of Big Bear Valley announced the visiting banded subadult KD1 will be called Kaydee after repeated livestreamed appearances with Shadow.
  • Band records from the Orange County Water District show Kaydee hatched in the Prado Basin in 2022 and was identified by the KD1 ankle band.
  • Live cameras have captured Kaydee and Shadow perching, flying and calling together since mid‑August, but wildlife experts say those behaviors do not prove a pair bond.
  • Managers and biologists urge viewers not to interfere or anthropomorphize the birds and note that mating readiness and clearer pairing cues typically appear in the December–January breeding season.