Our golden eagle has a name!

And the winning entry is… Kateri

Thank you to the 290 people who submitted name suggestions in our golden eagle naming contest. The winning entry came from eight-year-old Chloe Hanson, whose favorite part of the Center is indeed the birds of our Greater Yellowstone Raptor Experience!

Click here to find out more about the name Kateri and what it means.

The Draper Museum of Natural History has added a new member to its flock—a female golden eagle has joined our Greater Yellowstone Raptor Experience! She was transferred to Cody from the Northeast Wyoming (NEW) Bird Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Gillette where she underwent surgery after being hit by a vehicle on I-90. She suffered a compound humerus fracture, causing irreversible muscle damage that left her permanently unable to fly well enough to be wild again. She’s currently undergoing training here.

We called on our friends to help us find a special name for this special bird! The “Name the Eagle Contest” ran during the first two weeks of February. One submission was allowed per person, and the winner will receive an autographed copy of Draper Founding Curator Dr. Charles R. Preston’s book Golden Eagle: Sovereign of the Skies.

Golden Eagle “Quick Facts”

• Golden eagles may have up to an eight-foot wingspan and weigh up to thirteen pounds in the wild—more in captivity.
• Golden eagles typically mate for life, and may live thirty years in the wild and more than forty years in captivity.
• Golden eagles are the most powerful aerial predator in North America, typically preying on rabbit-sized prey, but capable of killing animals as large as pronghorn and mule deer. In some parts of the world, they are trained by elite falconers to kill deer, foxes, and even wolves.
• Golden eagles are distributed widely throughout the northern hemisphere. In North America, they are most commonly encountered in open habitats of the West. They are declining in some areas due to habitat loss. The golden eagle has declined greatly in Central Europe, and the more populated areas of its former range.
• Golden eagles are considered sacred in many Native American cultures, especially Plains Indian cultures. They are regarded as messengers to the Gods.
• Golden eagles are also held in great esteem by many European and other cultures as a symbol of power, strength, and majesty. The golden eagle adorns the national flag or coat of arms of many nations, and is the most common national animal in the world, with five nations—Mexico, Albania, Germany, Austria, and Kazakhstan—making it the national animal.

The Draper Museum of Natural History at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center expresses its deep appreciation to the W.H. Donner Foundation and Donner Canadian Foundation for their support, as well as to our partners at the University of Wyoming’s Berry Center for Biodiversity Conservation. These entities enabled us to establish this wonderful program in Memory of Robert Donner Jr. and Bobby Donner, III, and we are committed to ensuring its long future at the Center.