National Aviary looking for names for new eagle

One of the most well-known residents at the National Aviary has a potential mate, and the Pittsburgh attraction is looking for the public’s help in naming her.

As part of a contest, name submissions will be accepted until 5 p.m. Sept. 4 for the aviary’s new female Steller’s Sea Eagle.

According to the aviary, its new addition is considered a possible match for Kodiak, also known as Kody, a male of the same species that has lived at the facility for more than 15 years.

Visit aviary.org to learn more about the new Steller’s Sea Eagle and to submit a name for her.

The bird’s care team will select four names as finalists. Then, the public will be invited to vote for their favorite name. A $5 donation will allow for five votes, with proceeds used to support care of the more than 500 birds and animals at the aviary.

The winning name will be announced at the end of September. The winner will get the opportunity to experience a bird of prey encounter.

Kody moved into a newly renovated space at the aviary last year.

He made headlines in September 2021, when he escaped from a previous outdoor enclosure at the aviary. He was caught within nine days in Pine Township by aviary staff and volunteers, assisted by hundreds of tips from the public.

Kody has served as an ambassador for his kind, helping aviary visitors learn how overfishing and habitat loss have affected the species in its home range in Russia and Japan. The species is listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.