Shadow seen with new eagle at the Big Bear nest. Could a match be in the making?

Hours after celebrity bald eagle Jackie’s death was announced Monday, a new beaked face showed up in the Big Bear nest she shared with her mate, Shadow.

The newcomer was KD1, a 4½-year-old eagle who has since become a repeat visitor to the aerie that’s livestreamed around the clock, earning its inhabitants worldwide internet fame.

On Thursday afternoon, Shadow glided into the nest with KD1 not far behind, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit that runs the livestream.

“Is this a new bond forming between these 2?” the nonprofit wrote in a social media post . “Well, it could be and it may not be, only time will tell.”

Jackie and her mate, Shadow, delighted millions of viewers as stars of a nonstop livestream of their nest, perched high in a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake.

Observers were able to identify the younger eagle because it was banded around the leg by the Orange County Water District in April 2022 in the Prado Basin, some 70 miles from Big Bear. The basin includes wetlands where water is diverted from the Santa Ana River. “KD1” is inscribed on the lavender band. Coincidentally, KD1’s parents had the same names as Jackie’s — Ricky and Lucy — but are not the same pair.

“At this time, seeing KD1 hang out near and next to Shadow, this bird looks like a big bird, which would lean female,” Jenna Carpenter, a wildlife biologist with the water district, said in a Facebook video . “Female raptors are most often larger than the males, but we are still not 100% sure.”

If they’re right about KD1’s gender, the eagle could be mate material, added Carpenter, who was there when the eagle was banded. KD1 is nearing the breeding age of five.

KD1 was first spotted on the nonprofit’s cameras on Aug. 6, while Jackie was in critical care. “As the days progressed, the subadult started to perch near Shadow in several of his favored trees,” the nonprofit wrote.

Sandy and Luna, two eaglets raised by Jackie and Shadow this year, were last seen in the area on July 23. It’s believed they’ve since left the area, triggering Shadow’s “summer vacation,” when eagles visit the nest only occasionally, the nonprofit said.

KD1’s appearance has sparked varied reactions from fans of Big Bear’s famed eagles. Many are glad that Shadow has company but others have questioned how soon Shadow appeared to move on. Some have even labeled the new eagle “Jolene,” a nod to the Dolly Parton song about one woman begging another not to steal her partner.

“I believe in signs. And perhaps this new eagle was sent from Jackie as a sign to Shadow that she crossed the rainbow bridge and it was okay for him to move on,” one Facebook user wrote. “It makes my heart happy to think so.”

“Not sure how I feel about KD1 throwing herself at Shadow the way she is. Brazen!” quipped another, adding a laughing emoji.

Jackie died Sunday night at the Ojai Raptor Center, which cared for her since she was rescued from the shore of Big Bear Lake in mid-July. The 14-year-old eagle was found weak and unable to fly after sparring with younger eagles.