Journey North Bald Eagles: Spring 2009

Bald Eagle

Migration Update: March 11, 2009

Welcome to the 2009 Journey North Bald Eagle Study!

Look who's "holding hands" in mid-air!
Find out more >>
Photo: Jon McRay

Maps and Data

It is noticeable now; days are lengthening. There's one more hour of light since mid-February in central NY State. Have you felt the changes where you live?
The bald eagles are starting to notice. Migration, like many other behaviors, is governed primarily by changing day length. As days get longer, a bird's physiology changes, especially their hormone levels. This in turn stimulates changes in behavior.

What do today's eagle maps tell you? Do you see some change in eagle behavior? Which eagle, U21 or U25 will be further north next week?

All Eagles (map/data)

Questions about this week's map >>

U25 Map (Sp'09 animation)>>

Eagle Sightings Highlights:
03/04/09 Sighted eagle on Grand River about one mile upstream from Lake Erie. He had a 1.5 pound fish in his right talon. He landed in a tree 100 yards away and ate leisurely for ten minutes. Grand River, OH
03/07/09 Today, I saw a nesting pair of Bald Eagles on Lake Champlain--500 yards north of Maple Bend, on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain. I could not see any tags but their nest is highly visable from the lake(ice). Whitehall, NY

Eagle Behavior: Spectacular Aerial Displays

Talon-grappling, cart-wheeling, and tumbling in mid-air are frequently observed eagle behaviors. Anyone who witnesses it says it's the most amazing thing they've ever seen! Why do they do it?
Eagle watchers often think of it as courtship display. Others think it could be just for play.

Thanks to photographer Jon McRay you can come along for a viewing! >>

Explore: Capturing an Eagle for Tracking

How do you capture an eagle for satellite tracking without hurting it? This is one of the good questions we get from students. Birds are lured in using bait - often a deer carcass. A specialized net gun casts a big net onto the bait and birds. Biologists carefully remove the eagle from the tangle of net for examining. If the bird fits all of the qualifications, a specialized backpack PTT is fitted and it is released. Learn more about the capture of U27.

Capture and Release — All on the Same Day!
February 1, 2006 was a big day for eagle U27. On that day she was searching the icy Delaware River for a meal. She spotted other birds — crows and immature eagles — feasting on a large dead animal on the shore so she dropped in for a taste. What she quickly found out was Peter Nye and his team had a net trap all set up to catch her.
Find out what happened to U27, then watch a slow-motion, live action video of her release.

Slide-show >>

Do Eagles Bite Biologists?
When admiring the photos of eagles held for tagging on capture day, we couldn’t stop wondering, why doesn't the eagle turn its head and BITE? So we asked Pete if eagles bite biologists.

Here is what he had to say >>

Links: This Week's Eagle Resources

Slideshow: Bald Eagle Release Story >>
Connect with Reading: Eagle Talons vs. Beaks >>
Eagle Behavior : Aerial Acrobats >>
Lessons, Activities, and Resources >>
Journey North for Kids: Eagles >>

Eagle Journal >>

More Eagle Lessons and Teaching Ideas!

The Next Bald Eagle Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 18, 2009.