Golden Eagle Research
Third Eagle Tagged and Named!
Bernheim Forest and Arboretum is happy to announce ‘Hermes’ as the golden eagle naming contest winner. More than 1,000 participants cast their votes with ‘Hermes’ narrowly edging out ‘Beckham’ to become the name of the male golden eagle recently tagged at Bernheim.
“Golden eagles, known as the ‘ghosts of the forest’ frequent large, unspoiled, and unbroken habitats,” explained Dr. Mark Wourms, Executive Director at Bernheim. “We are proud that Bernheim is a preferred winter refuge for these rare, magnificent birds.”
In Greek mythology, Hermes is an Olympic deity known as the adventurous flying shapeshifter who was the ‘messenger of the gods.’
The newest addition to Bernheim’s ongoing golden eagle research project, Hermes was fitted with a GPS satellite transmitter in late February and is now traveling between the United States and Canada along the north shore of Lake Huron. Bernheim will continue tracking Hermes and Athena, a female golden eagle studied since 2019, on their spring migrations north into the Canadian wilderness.
“Data from Bernheim’s Golden Eagle research contributes to publications like the Conservation Plan for Golden Eagles in Eastern North America, but also helps engage the public in understanding the importance of places like Bernheim for migratory species and wildlife conservation,” explained Andrew Berry, Bernheim Director of Conservation.
Bernheim is grateful for the support of Birds of Bernheim including Beckham Bird Club, Kentucky Audubon Council, friends and family of Judge Boyce Martin Jr., Conservation Science Global, Cellular Tracking Technologies, Parks Canada, and Bernheim members and staff that make these projects possible.
