Big Bear eaglets Sandy and Luna named by students after 64,000 public submissions — a tribute to longtime director Sandy Steers
Big Bear Lake’s newly hatched eaglets, from parents Jackie and Shadow, were officially named Sandy and Luna after a community process that culled nearly 64,000 public submissions and let local third-graders cast the final votes.
- Hatch and growth: Chick 1 hatched April 4; Chick 2 hatched April 5 — both near one month old and approaching 3 pounds, up from roughly 2 ounces at hatching.
- Names & votes: Third graders chose Sandy (30 votes) for the April 4 chick and Luna (25 votes) for the April 5 chick from 30 curated options.
- Public submissions & tribute: Friends of Big Bear Valley collected ~63,915 entries; Sandy was the top public submission with 3,706 entries and honors late FOBBV director Sandy Steers.
- How to watch: Live nest coverage continues on the Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam for researchers, teachers and the public.
Overview
Jackie and Shadow, the celebrated Big Bear Lake eagle pair, produced two eaglets in 2026 that hatched on April 4 and April 5. The chicks are nearly one month old and have shown rapid growth — from about 2 ounces at hatch to close to 3 pounds each — with sexes still undetermined.
How the names were chosen: a layered community process
Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) ran a multi-step naming fundraiser that began with nearly 64,000 gender-neutral name suggestions from the public (reported as 63,915 submissions). From that pool, the nonprofit randomly selected 30 name options, which were distributed to third-grade classes across the Big Bear Valley. Students then voted to pick names for Chick 1 and Chick 2.
Third graders selected Sandy for Chick 1 (hatched April 4) with 30 votes and Luna for Chick 2 (hatched April 5) with 25 votes. Runners-up included Star, Chip and Phoenix. The process echoes prior seasons when students helped choose names — last season produced Sunny and Gizmo from roughly 54,000 submissions.
A tribute to Sandy Steers
Sandy was the single most popular public submission, with 3,706 entries, and the student vote confirmed the choice as a community tribute. Steers, the longtime FOBBV executive director, launched the 24-hour Big Bear Lake Eagle Cam in 2015 and died in February after a battle with cancer.
“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.”
— Friends of Big Bear Valley statement
How to tell Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets apart
FOBBV staff describe Sandy (Chick 1) as larger, with a bigger head and neck and a slight curve to the gape; staff also noted Sandy has appeared the more submissive chick. Luna (Chick 2) is smaller and has shown more aggressive behavior but has recently spent more time bonding with Sandy and the sibling “bonking” has eased. Observers are cautioned that differences are subtle and may change as the chicks grow.
Weight and growth
Local reporting and FOBBV updates note rapid growth: from about 2 ounces at hatching, both chicks now approach 3 pounds. This rapid gain reflects frequent feeding by Jackie and Shadow as part of the pair’s multi-year breeding and chick-rearing story, followed by a global audience via the nest cam.
Watching Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets live: the Big Bear Lake Eagle Cam
The nest has been under continuous live coverage since 2015. Viewers can follow the Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam on YouTube. The stream — and the name announcement video — allow teachers, students and remote bird fans to observe feeding, sibling interactions, and wing development in real time.
What the tradition means for education and conservation
The naming tradition connects fundraising, public engagement and classroom learning. By crowdsourcing name ideas and giving third graders the final vote, FOBBV creates tangible classroom moments tied to wildlife observation and stewardship. Teachers report the project helps students learn biology, animal behavior, data handling and civic participation, while boosting awareness of regional raptor conservation and habitat protection.
Investigative note: transparency and public trust
The multi-step process — nearly 64,000 submissions, random selection of 30 options, and a student vote — was designed to combine wide public input with classroom participation. Published counts (total submissions, top name tally, student vote totals) add transparency; clear documentation helps preserve public trust for programs that mix fundraising and civic engagement.
Implications for Sonoma, California
Economic: Wildlife streaming and popular live cams like Big Bear’s can boost nature-focused tourism. Sonoma organizations might model joint programming that pairs live wildlife viewing with local sustainable tourism initiatives.
Educational & civic: Sonoma schools and nature centers can replicate the student-vote model to teach science, civics and community participation, using live streams and local habitat studies as classroom resources.
Conservation policy: Local groups can use live-stream engagement to increase volunteerism and donor support for habitat restoration, trail maintenance and raptor monitoring programs.
Sources and further reading
- ABC7: “Big Bear eaglets officially have names: Sandy, Luna”
- LAist: “Sandy, Luna: Big Bear bald eaglets named after community vote”
- Popular Science: “Jackie and Shadow chick names 2026: Sandy and Luna”
- Victor Valley News Group: “Big Bear eaglets named Sandy and Luna”
- Friends of Big Bear Valley YouTube (Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam) and the name announcement video
