As they approach 1 month old, Jackie and Shadow’s 2026 eaglets at Big Bear Lake now have names.
The chicks, which hatched on April 4 and 5, have been christened Sandy and Luna, respectively, by Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit group that maintains and operates the famed 24-hour online stream that broadcasts the daily activities to eagle-eyed fans around the world.
Now nearly 3 pounds each following exponential growth since hatching at roughly 2 ounces, the young apex predators continue growing and developing individual personalities. Their sexes are yet to be determined.
How were the Big Bear bald eaglets names chosen?
In keeping with tradition, the eaglet’s names were selected by Big Bear Valley third-grade students.
The children overwhelming chose Sandy, with 30 votes, and Luna, with 25 votes, the organization said.
The children were provided with a list of 30 randomly selected options to vote on based on nearly 64,000 submissions provided by the public to FOBBV through a fundraiser.
Runners-up included Star, Chip and Phoenix.
A tribute to Sandy Steers
The name Sandy honors the longtime FOBBV Executive Director Sandy Steers, who launched the eagle cam in 2015. She died in February following a battle with cancer.
“Sandy was the most popular name entered with 3,706 of the 63,915 names submitted,” FOBBV stated in announcing the chicks’ names.
“Please know that although Sandy would not have wanted us to outright name one of the eaglets Sandy, she would have been honored that you and the students went through the process and named one of the 2026 eaglets after her,” the group said.
How to tell the Big Bear bald eagle chick apart
Day by day, differences have emerged that help distinguish the siblings, according to FOBBV.
“With our observations, [Sandy] is larger, has a larger head and neck and has a slight curve to its gape, and has been the more submissive eaglet,” the group said in a written statement. “[Luna] is smaller and has been the more aggressive eaglet, though now they seem to be bonding quite well and most of the bonking is over.”
FOBBV noted that the differences are subtle and subject to change over time.
Follow along live with the Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam
Eagle enthusiasts can follow the journey of the Big Bear Lake bald eagles nest from anywhere in the world via YouTube.
The 24-hour nest cam can be viewed at youtube.com/@FOBBVCAM.
More information on Friends of Big Bear Valley, as well as the group’s conservation efforts, is available online at friendsofbigbearvalley.org.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Meet Sandy and Luna: Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets now have names
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
