We’re getting ready to celebrate another avian ambassador milestone—Cricket the Burrowing Owl is turning one year old this July! At this age, Burrowing Owls typically reach sexual maturity, and our education team has started observing some fascinating breeding behaviors from Cricket—like hooting, resource dominance, and more. We recently collected a blood sample to confirm Cricket’s sex,... Read More

As April comes to a close—and with it, Gus’ Hatch Day month—the TRC education team is excited to share some heartwarming kid-created art inspired by Gus! These wonderful pieces were made by students from the Jackson Hole Historical Society’s spring break camp. The K–5 campers recently read The Eagles Are Back by Jean Craighead George, a beautifully... Read More

This Earth Day, we celebrate resilience, recovery, and second chances—like that of Golden Eagle 11.1.24, one of our most remarkable patients for the year. Found in Twin Falls, Idaho, the eagle arrived at Teton Raptor Center severely ataxic, unable to stand or open its talons. A lead test showed blood levels exceeding our diagnostic limits... Read More

Gus has shown us many amazing behaviors over his 20 years as an Avian Ambassador. His most common behaviors include running around the roost’s hallway, bathing, and delivering food or sticks to his trainers. These moments have been captured by our staff and volunteers during his time with us. We would love to share these... Read More

Join Roger Smith, Teton Raptor Center’s Founder and Chief Mission Officer, in the video below as he shares the incredible story of how Gus came into his care—and ultimately found a forever home at TRC. While Gus hasn’t spent all of his 20 years with us, he’s been a beloved ambassador since 2007. And throughout... Read More

Gus, our resident male Golden Eagle, hatched in 2005. He was recovered from his nest by WY Game and Fish when a rancher noticed that he didn’t fledge at the same time as his sibling. Due to metabolic bone disease, Gus has a permanent impairment to his right wing and has never been able to fly. In... Read More

It’s that time of year again! As spring arrives, migrant birds are starting to arrive back in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Some of our resident raptors, like Great Horned Owls and Bald Eagles, are already incubating eggs. In fact, Research Field Biologist Adrian Rouse recently spotted a Bald Eagle that seemed to be incubating on an Osprey platform! For our... Read More

Earlier this month, our research team attended the joint Wyoming and Colorado Chapters of The Wildlife Society (TWS) conference. This conference is an amazing opportunity to learn about current research and management topics within the broader wildlife field, as well as make connections with fellow biologists and conservationists. Additionally, three people on our research team gave... Read More

Teton Raptor Center promotes the use of lead-free ammunition and fishing tackle through the Sporting Lead-Free initiative, which works to encourage conservation ethics in our sporting communities. By promoting education and voluntarily using lead-free products for hunting and fishing, we are helping curb lead poisoning in many wildlife species, like Golden Eagles. Our team has been working across the... Read More

In human medicine, routine blood panels are a cornerstone of diagnosing underlying health conditions. Yet, it wasn’t until the late 1960s that hematologic (blood) biochemical reference ranges for healthy humans were first established—before then, doctors faced significant challenges in detecting blood-related disorders. For raptors, the challenge persists. Reliable blood reference ranges remain scarce, limiting the... Read More