Jackie and Shadow's eagle chicks finally have names. See what they are
Jackie and Shadow's eagle chicks finally have names. See what they are
Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAYFri, May 1, 2026 at 4:42 PM UTC
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Big Bear Valley's beloved baby eagles finally have names – and one moniker is a tribute to a dear friend of the nonprofit.
The California bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadows' chicks were named following a vote by third graders.
The chicks had previously been going by Chick 1 and Chick 2. Chick 1 hatched on April 4 at 9:33 p.m. local time and Chick 2 hatched on April 5 at 8:30 a.m. The bald eagle family lives in a nest in Big Bear Valley, about 92 miles from Los Angeles.
The eaglets can be seen on the nonprofit's eagle cam.
1 / 0Two’s company! Jackie and Shadow’s 2026 chicks make Easter debutAfter beginning to pip Friday, Jackie and Shadow’s first chick made its first bobbleheaded feeding Easter Sunday in front of more than 40,000 viewers while the second has fully emerged, captured on the Friends of Big Bear Valley’s live eagle cam.Jackie and Shadow's babies' names revealed: Sandy and Luna
On Friday, May 1, the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley, which monitors the eagles, announced the chicks' names as Sandy and Luna.
The nonprofit received over 3,000 submissions for Sandy. The name made it to the random sample and was selected by the third graders.
Sandy Steers, the executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, died in February. The chick is named after her.
Friends of Big Bear Valley Executive Director Sandy Steers, who died on Feb. 11.
The organization launched the naming contest on Wednesday, April 15. The public had until 11:59 p.m. PT on April 26 to enter their name suggestions.
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A computer program randomly drew a list of names, which school children voted on.
How to tell the chicks apart?
Though it's difficult to tell the chicks apart, the nonprofit noted some of their differences in a social media post.
Chick 1, now Sandy, is larger, with a larger head and neck and a slight curve to its gape, the yellow corners of the mouth. Additionally, the bird has been the more submissive of the eaglets. Meanwhile, Chick 2, Luna, is smaller, has a straighter gape, and has been more aggressive.
It's impossible to know the gender of the eaglets based on appearance, according to the National Eagle Center.
The chicks were part of the second clutch Jackie laid this year. The bird had laid her first eggs of the 2025-2026 breeding season on Jan. 23 and Jan. 26, but they were destroyed by ravens.
Jackie laid two more eggs on Feb. 24 and Feb. 27, and the chicks hatched a few weeks later.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eagles Jackie and Shadow's baby names revealed. See what the are
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