By Andrew Berry
Bernheim Continues to Track Golden Eagle Hermes on his Nomadic Travels in Nunavik
Hermes, the Golden Eagle tracked from Bernheim, remains in the northern Quebec area called Nunavik on the Ungava Peninsula. He spent the summer on the arctic tundra where he traveled widely over 20,000,000 acres. Since we began tracking Hermes in February 2024, he has been a nomadic bird rarely staying in one location for too long. Despite his frequent movements his tracks have shown site fidelity by visiting the same areas in consecutive years, including the Leaf River area of Nunavik, Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, and the North Channel Islands of Lake Huron.
Located in southeast Indiana, Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and is a 50,000 acre globally important bird area. Hermes visited Big Oaks in early 2024 on his way north in the spring migration. Returning on March 10, 2025, Big Oaks was the furthest south that Hermes traveled in early 2025 after spending a long winter in the Canadian boreal forests.
Crossing into Ontario, Canada
On March 26, 2025, Hermes crossed over into Canada and spent time in the North Channel Islands of Ontario where he flew between Saint Joseph Island, Drummond Island, Cockburn Island, and Manitoulin Island. This area in the northern arm of Lake Huron is known for exceptional granite outcroppings and windswept pine forests along pristine shorelines that provide important migratory bird stopovers.
On April 16 he passed by James Bay including the important bird area known as the Hannah Bay Migratory Bird Sanctuary. From here he flew north eventually arriving at the Leaf River on April 24, 2025. Leaf River is the same area he spent the majority of last summer where he traveled widely from the town of Tasiujaq to inland locations upriver. The Leaf River is on the edge of the tree line with a large caribou herd centered that migrates here during the summer months.
Continuing on to the Northernmost Territory of Quebec
By August 23, 2025, Hermes had travelled to Pingualuit National Park near the Northern tip of Nunavik, Quebec. Pingualuit features a meteorite crater filled with water and is over 300 miles north of the tree line in the Arctic tundra. Caribou are known to range this far north in summer as well as inland polar bears, wolves, and snowy owls. Hermes visited the western edge of the park around Lamarche Lake along with many nearby locations amongst rocky arctic lakes that remain ice free less than 2 months a year.
During his time in Nunavik, Hermes has traveled over an 80,000 kilometers square range. His travels are somewhat nomadic and suggest he may be following food sources and still does not have a mate or dedicated territory. He does seem to be in the right area as the Leaf River region is known to be densely populated with Eastern Golden Eagles and perhaps is the area from which he was fledged.
Update on Athena
Athena, the Golden Eagle tracked from Bernheim since 2019, has not checked in since April 2025 when she last arrived in the Churchill, Manitoba region. This is not unexpected, and we may see her transmit data during the fall migration in the coming months. In previous years she departed from Wapusk National Park region during the first week of October.
Special thanks to supporters of Birds of Bernheim, including Beckham Bird Club, Kentucky Audubon Council, Cellular Tracking Technologies, Conservation Science Global Inc., Parks Canada, and other partners that make the golden eagle research possible.
