Bird Flu, Not Rat Poison, Killed Jackie the Bald Eagle, Necropsy Finds

Bird Flu, Not Rat Poison, Killed Jackie the Bald Eagle, Necropsy Finds

Bird flu, not rat poison, killed the world's most-watched eagle

California wildlife officials ended months of speculation on Oct. 14: Jackie, the female bald eagle whose nest above Big Bear Lake was watched by millions on a round-the-clock livestream, died of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), not the rat poison that had dominated public guessing. Hatched in Big Bear Valley in 2012 and believed to be the first bald eagle ever to hatch there, she was 14 when she died in the early hours of Aug. 10 at the Ojai Raptor Center in Ventura County.

What the necropsy actually found

The necropsy was performed by veterinary pathologists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and released by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, with the alliance and the Ojai Raptor Center. The language was careful: HPAI was the "primary underlying cause of her decline." Chris Eksteen, executive director of the Ojai Raptor Center, said the findings helped connect the many abnormalities clinicians had seen throughout her hospitalization.

An uncommon presentation of a common virus

Steve Kubiski, director of disease investigations at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, described an unusual course: the infection produced a severe ulcer in her stomach that caused persistent internal bleeding, anemia and bacterial sepsis. The report describes severe, chronic inflammation and ulceration of the stomach, with multiple severe and interconnected disease processes developing over time before her decline and death.

Rat poison showed up in her liver, but not as the killer

Toxicology screening detected brodifacoum, an anticoagulant rodenticide, in Jackie's liver. Officials said it was not the primary cause of her illness or death: the necropsy found none of the uncontrolled bleeding typical of anticoagulant poisoning. The report also noted persistent environmental contaminants, again without elevating them to primary cause.

West Nile virus and heavy metals ruled out

Testing excluded West Nile virus, and heavy metals fell within safe levels. In other words, the tidy "poisoned by rat bait" explanation does not hold up; what killed her was a virus and the cascade it set off inside her.

From the lakeshore in July to three weeks of intensive care

On July 16 an adult bald eagle was spotted on the ground near the lake. The next day witnesses filmed a brief confrontation with two subadult eagles; phone footage showed the bird defending itself with its talons but unable to fly off. Rescuers eventually found her in the water and rushed her to the Ojai Raptor Center. Examinations revealed severe anemia, emaciation, dehydration and large blood clots in both wings and a kidney. She received a blood transfusion and oxygen therapy, improved briefly, and died after more than three weeks of intensive care.

Her remains were cremated to contain the virus

Following protocols to prevent HPAI from spreading to wildlife or people, Jackie's remains were cremated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Eagle Repository. She was catalogued in the investigation as patient 26-519.

Shadow and the eaglets show no sign of illness

Her longtime mate, Shadow, remains in Big Bear Valley, and California wildlife officials said there is nothing to indicate that he or this year's eaglets, Sandy and Luna, are sick. Sandy hatched on April 4 and Luna on April 5, over Easter weekend, and both successfully fledged shortly before Jackie fell ill. Shadow paired with Jackie in 2018; she had previously mated with an eagle known as Mr. B, and their 2018 chick Stormy survived and left the valley.

A younger female named Kaydee has moved in

In early August, while Jackie was in critical care, a female eagle with a lavender leg band appeared on the cameras run by Friends of Big Bear Valley. Nicknamed Kaydee, she hatched in Southern California in 2022 and has not left: she and Shadow now spend nights on the same roost branches and fly out together at dawn, which observers read as the start of a new pair bond.

Two thousand fans said goodbye in Big Bear

About 2,000 people came to Bear Mountain Resort on Oct. 3 for "Wings Over Big Bear," some arriving more than two hours early. The crowd was a sea of Jackie hats and T-shirts, and the ceremony unveiled a painting by local artist Jillana Marshall along with a mural. San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe told attendees that Jackie "brought us together" in divided times. A statue honoring her was also unveiled in Fawnskin in late September.

Why it matters for raptors as HPAI keeps circulating

Officials note that highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to circulate in wild bird populations across the United States, posing the greatest risk to raptors that encounter infected birds or eat infected prey. Jackie's nest cam — installed by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley, whose social accounts have grown to roughly 2.4 million followers — is still running. The Jeffrey pine nest is still streaming; only the resident female has changed.