Happy fourth of July! We’re celebrating this day by spotlighting our two most patriotic-looking birds, our golden eagles.

CuriOdyssey is home to two golden eagles, one female, Ishta, and one male, Oro.  Ishta came to us in 2000 after she was hit by a car and sustained internal injuries, in addition to a fractured beak and severe trauma to her right eye. Although she has recovered from most of her injuries, she is still blind in her right eye.

Oro arrived in 1998. He was injured in the wild after he flew into a barbed wire fence and damaged the soft tissue of his right wing and chest.  During a routine health exam, it was also discovered that he had bone cancer in his right wing, and the tip of the wing was amputated to prevent the cancer from spreading.

In the wild, you can find golden eagles in Eurasia, North Africa and North America, typically in mountainous areas, canyons, shrubland and grasslands. You can also find them next time you visit CuriOdyssey!

In 2015, our golden eagles were moved into a significantly larger exhibit space that allowed for more perching and room to explore. Next time you’re visiting us, stop by their new exhibit. Make sure to share any pictures of the golden eagles with us on social media. Just use the tag #CuriOdyssey. We’d love to see your photos!

[photos taken by Stefanie Tanaka, summer intern]