NATURE

The Adorable Big Bear Eaglet Just Got a Name

The not-so-wee one entered the world, via a much-watched egg, in early March.

Friends of Big Bear Valley

What to Know

  • The baby hatched on March 3, 2022; Jackie & Shadow, the world-famous Big Bear eagles, are the parents
  • Two cameras, operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley, have been trained on the sky-high nest, giving people around the world a close-up view
  • A naming contest just concluded, and the chick's name was announced on April 6

Choosing a name for a beautiful bambino is truly one of the most challenging yet creatively inspired tasks a person can take on.

What's the baby like? What are your future hopes for this youngster? Are they displaying any characteristics that might suggest a particular moniker?

These are some of the usual questions, yes. But what happens when thousands of people are regularly checking in on the baby and its parents, from points around the globe, and many of these observers have a great name to suggest?

In short, a naming contest occurs, which is just what Friends of Big Bear Valley launched earlier in March.

For Jackie & Shadow, the famous and famously obsessed-over Big Bear eagles, had a new little eagle in the nest, a hatchling that needed a name.

The organization, which oversees the tree-placed cameras that watch the nest around the clock, opened a naming contest for the chick on March 9, 2022, a competition that closed on March 27.

The final tally?

The group reports that there were "2641 entries", with "a total of 9963 names submitted." There are a lot of enthusiastic nature-loving namers out there, clearly, which seems to be a lovely thing.

The winning name?

Hello to Spirit, which is quite the spirited name for the spunky youngster.

Many followers of the nest cam have already commented how fitting this name is for a bird that has shown plenty of moxie, even in its earliest weeks of life.

Patti G submitted the name, which was ultimately chosen by 3rd graders in the Big Bear Lake area, from a drawing of 35 possible names.

Want to see Spirit in action? The growing-fast cutie is still weeks away from fledging, and saying goodbye to the nest, but goodness, this is a big baby bird.

Check out all the cheerful scenes, from feedings to beak kisses to nap times, by looking in on the Big Bear Eagle Live Nest Cam now.

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