Big Bear’s most famous bald eagle family is growing, and now the public has a chance to help choose the monikers for its newest members.
A naming contest has been launched for the two eaglets born earlier this month to proud and plumed parents Jackie and Shadow, the widely followed bald eagle pair whose lives are streamed online.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit group that oversees the webcam trained on the couple’s nest, announced Wednesday that name submissionsare being accepted through April 26 on the group’s website.
Submissions are accompanied by a donation to the organization.
The contest comes after a highly anticipated Easter weekend hatching watched live by the eagles’ legion of social media followers.The first chick emerged late the night of April 4; the second came out the next morning.
In the days since, the eaglets seem to be settling into their new world quite well.
Updates shared on social media show them eating regularly, growing stronger and starting to move their wings and preen their feathers.
Subtle differences have emerged between the two since they have hatched. One chick appears slightly darker and more “submissive” than its younger sibling who has shown more “sassy” behavior, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley. Livestream video also captures Jackie and Shadow frequently feeding the youngsters, keeping them well-nourished despite competition from other wildlife in the area.
The successful hatching marks a turnaround for Jackie and Shadow after they lost an earlier set of eggs when ravens raided their nest in February. The pair laid a second clutch with two eggs weeks later.
The naming contest continues a local tradition for the Big Bear Lake community. Finalists will be randomly selected from public submissions and sent to Big Bear third-graders, who will determine the winners, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Organizers also say the tradition honors the legacy of Sandy Steers, a longtime supporter of the program who championed educational opportunities for local students. Steers, the former executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, died this year after a private battle with cancer.
“It is a rite of passage for the Big Bear third-graders to name the chicks. This was one of Sandy’s greatest joys and we want to honor that important tradition,” said Jenny Voisard, media manager for Friends of Big Bear Valley.
For now, viewers can continue to follow the eaglets’ early days in the nest.
The young birds are expected to remain there for about 10 to 14 weeks before fledging as their older siblings, Sunny and Gizmo, did in 2025.
Until then, their rapid growth and eventual names will be closely watched by an audience that spans far beyond Big Bear.
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