By Andrew Berry
Golden Eagle Gwaihir arrives in Northern Alaska after migrating from Bernheim to the Artic National Wildlife Refuge
What began as an unexpected turn has now become one of the most remarkable migration stories Bernheim Forest and Arboretum has ever documented.
Since departing Kentucky on February 27, Gwaihir has continued to defy expectations at nearly every turn. Rather than following the established eastern golden eagle migration corridors, he pushed west crossing forests, prairies, and mountain ranges on a journey deep into the Arctic of northern Alaska.
On April 3, Gwaihir’s location placed him near Dawson City in the Yukon, just south of the Yukon River in northwest Canada. It is a place defined by history and legend in the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush and the setting for The Call of the Wild.
From Dawson City, the last outpost on his route, the story briefly went quiet. Transmissions from Gwaihir’s GPS unit became silent, leaving a gap in his precise movements across the far northwest. But on April 15 data uploaded to reveal that his final destination after a 4,887 mile spring migration is the Brooks Range of northern Alaska, within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
At 19.3 million acres, ANWR is the largest wildlife refuge in the United States and represents one of the most intact Arctic ecosystems on Earth. Recent data places him along the Ivashik River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, where he has been moving throughout the valley and surrounding mountains. Here human presence is nearly absent and ecological processes unfold at full scale. Snow and ice still cover much of the terrain, but rapidly increasing daylight is beginning to awaken hibernating ground squirrels, one of the golden eagle’s primary prey species. Large mammals like Dall sheep and the Porcupine caribou herd may also provide scavenging and hunting opportunities.
Golden eagles in this landscape often use the steep cliffs above river valleys for nesting, taking advantage of expansive views and strong updrafts for hunting. Whether Gwaihir is exploring potential nesting habitat or continuing to define his range remains to be seen, but over the coming months data should give us more insight into his behavior.
This migration has reshaped our understanding of Bernheim’s wintering golden eagles, revealing connections to far broader and more remote summer landscapes than previously known. These movements underscore the reality of vast, largely invisible wildlife corridors that link Bernheim Forest and Arboretum to ecosystems across North America. As we continue to follow Gwaihir’s path, the question remains as to whether he will stay within the Ivashik River valley, or continue deeper into the Arctic wilds of northern Alaska.
A Traveler of Wild Places
There is something unique about the places Gwaihir has chosen along his journey.
From Bernheim Forest and Arboretum, he has passed through more than 235 protected areas in ten states (Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska) and three provinces of Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon). He has crossed the Hoosier National Forest, Shawnee National Forest, and Mark Twain National Forest before entering the Great Plains where he traced the Flint Hills of Kansas and the Sandhills of Nebraska, then climbed into the Black Hills of South Dakota.
From there, his path carried him over some of the most iconic protected landscapes in North America including the Bighorn Canyon, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Glacier National Park, Waterton Lakes National Park, the Yukon River, and into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
These are not just stopovers or migratory corridors. They are some of the most intact and ecologically significant landscapes defined by scale and remoteness and include a diversity of ecoregions that few golden eagles are known to traverse.
If you were planning the ultimate journey across North America’s wildest places, you might chart a course through these same landscapes. It is amazing to see them linked together in an eagles migration rather than just within somebody’s summer vacation plans.
The Windlord’s Migration
Named by popular vote, Gwaihir was chosen as a tribute to Tolkien’s great eagle, a creature of myth that crossed vast distances with purpose. Now, watching his migration unfold, the name feels more fitting than anyone could have imagined.
This journey continues to challenge what we thought we knew about eastern golden eagles. It is a reminder that even after years of research, there are still stories in the natural world that can surprise us.
Bernheim extends its gratitude to the many partners and supporters who make this story possible. Special thanks go to the Beckham Bird Club for its ongoing support of the Bernheim Golden Eagle Project, as well as the Kentucky Audubon Council, Birds of Bernheim donors, and the many members, volunteers, and staff whose contributions sustain this work.
Read more about the tagging of Gwaihir, the fourth golden eagle tracked by Bernheim and the golden eagle project.
Want to dive in even deeper? Click on the tags below and link to articles about the other golden eagles tracked by Bernheim in throughout this ongoing research project.
