A pair of eaglets that hatched last month to Jackie and Shadow, Big Bear’s internet-famous bald eagles, officially have names.
“Meet Sunny and Gizmo,” Friends of Big Bear Valley posted on Facebook late Tuesday night. “After the wonderful but lengthy process of selecting names for Jackie and Shadow’s adorable chicks, Bigger Chick is now named Sunny and Smaller Chick is now named Gizmo.”
Jackie and Shadow have attracted tens of thousands of viewers worldwide via the 24/7 livestream operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley. Executive Director Sandy Steers said about 54,000 names were submitted in a contest last week. A computer program then narrowed the list to 30.
Steers asked people to submit gender-neutral names because the eaglets’ sex is currently unknown — until they’re captured. Male and female eagles are identical until adulthood when females grow significantly larger than males, she said.
On Tuesday, third, fourth and fifth graders at three local schools had the honor of choosing the baby eagles’ names. Historically, only third graders, who study eagles as part of their curriculum, have participated in naming Jackie and Shadow’s chicks. But since the pair had not successfully hatched chicks in the past two years, older students were also included.
“Because we haven't had eaglets in a couple years, they decided to include fourth and fifth grade so you would also get the privilege of participating in this event,” Baldwin Lane Elementary Principal Andi McLinn told a group of excited fourth and fifth graders.
Steers joined McLinn in each classroom to read the list of 30 potential names, which also included Skye, Crackle and Griffin. Each student received a paper ballot to vote for their two favorite names.
“Such a big decision,” McLinn told one class. “Most of you haven’t voted for anything before.”
The students took the task seriously. One teacher remarked that her class had never been as quiet as they were while casting their votes. Steers collected the ballots in a cardboard ballot box she made.
Viewers of the live stream could also participate by submitting $5 for one name entry, $10 for three entries or $25 for 10 entries. It is unclear how many people submitted names. Steers said the proceeds, which have yet to be tallied, will go to supporting the livestream and Friends of Big Bear Valley.
“It’s been a crazy time,” she said.
Only the two surviving eaglets were named through the contest. A third chick, which died last month during a snowstorm, was named Misty in honor of a former Friends of Big Bear Valley member who died of cancer.