Sunny And Gizmo are the names given to the Big Bear Bald Eagle chicks born to “celebrity” parents Jackie and Shadow.
For months, people have been captivated watching the webcam of the parents caring for their baby eagles, feeding them and keeping them warm on cold snow-filled days and nights. And now, like their parents, the baby birds have names.
Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) announced the names of the chicks on its website and Facebook page. Big Bear Elementary students (3rd through 5th grade) casted their votes and selected Sunny and Gizmo out of a list of 20 finalist names. The name with the most votes was given to the bigger chick and the name with second highest number of votes was given to the smaller chick.
“We’re thrilled by how excited people were for the chance to name these two adorable chicks. And the Big Bear elementary students had tons of fun voting for their favorite names” said Sandy Steers, Executive Director of FOBBV. “All the students have been learning about Jackie and Shadow and their chicks. It was great to add a little reward for all their hard work.”
The public was invited to submit name suggestions along with a donation as a part of a fundraiser to help name Jackie and Shadow’s two chicks. FOBBV drew a random list of thirty finalist names from the pool of submissions and provided ballots to the students so that they could cast their vote. Traditionally, only the 3rd-graders voted on the names, but this year 4th and 5thgrade students were also included in the chick-name voting tally. There was a total of 469 students that voted on the chicks’ names.
The list ofthe finalist names are in the order they were drawn and printed: 1. Skye 2. Crackle 3. Griffen 4. Cloud 5. Sully 6. Arden 7. Riley 8. Raine 9. Striker 10. Hutch 11. Branch 12. Gizmo 13. Liberty 14. Star 15. Jade 16. Charlie 17. Talon 18. Cloudy 19. Blaze 20. Valor 21. Gilly 22. Jalen 23 Talie 24. Bell 25. Sassy 26. Passion 27. Swift 28. Destiny 29. Flyer 30. Sunn.
Sadly, a third chick born to the parents did not survive.
No fundraisers but watch the webcame or come back to PubClub.com for updates!
Interesting article! It’s always heartwarming to hear about community involvement, especially among young students. They must be thrilled to have their name choices immortalized. The webcam sounds like a great way to connect people with nature, even if they’re miles away. I’m curious – what’s the next big event for these eagle chicks after this naming ceremony? Also, about the fundraiser, do they have similar upcoming events planned?
Thanks again for sharing this lovely story!
Such a delightful post about Sunny and Gizmo! It’s heartwarming to see the community, especially the kids, getting involved in naming these adorable chicks. A small question though – have there been any updates on the survival rates of eagle chicks in recent years? Just curious as I’ve read some mixed reports previously. Regardless, it’s inspiring to see efforts like these tracking and supporting wildlife education.