Shadow 'highly likely' to nest up with new eagle pal, biologist says

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Set us as preferred On the heels of the death of his longtime mate Jackie, bald eagle Shadow has been perching, singing and lounging at his Big Bear nest with a new companion.It’s all being captured on a world-famous livestream, spurring mixed reactions from fans who are still reeling from Jackie’s passing.Pete Bloom, a raptor biologist who helped band the newcomer, says there’s a very good chance the bald eagles will make a go at starting a family in a few months.“It is highly likely that these two birds that currently seem to be forming a pair bond will indeed be a pair at the time that nesting begins, which is roughly December,” said Bloom, who has studied and placed identifying bands on raptors for more than 40 years.Bloom said he’s “basically confirming” the recent arrival — known as KD1 or Kaydee — is female because of her size and behavior.The 4½-year-old eagle is larger than Shadow and she’s been moving sticks around in the nest and nibbling on him.

In other words, she’s “doing things that assist in the forming of pair bonds, and I wouldn’t expect it to be another male,” he said.“So that leaves the other sex.”Bloom’s nonprofit was contracted by the Orange County Water District to band the bird in April 2022, and it’s believed she was born a month prior.

KD1 — which is inscribed on her leg band — hails from the Prado Basin, some 70 miles southwest of Big Bear.In mid-July, Jackie was rescued in bad shape on the shore of Big Bear Lake and transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center for treatment.On Aug.

6, while Jackie was in critical care, KD1 first appeared on cameras operated by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley, which capture Shadow’s nest and wider habitat.Despite exhaustive testing, experts could not figure out exactly why Jackie was so ill.

After ups and downs, her c...