Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

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Bald Eagle Migration Update: March 5, 2002

Today's Report Includes:

Map and Satellite Data from Our Seven New York Eagles

Here's the latest data for your map. The cold arctic air that spread across the continent last week seems to have held the eagles back. Let's see what happens next week when things warm up!
Link to Latest Data:

Field Notes from Peter Nye

Dear Kids,
"Winter" has been tough here in New York this year. Tough for trapping eagles for us biologists, that is, and good for the eagles! It?s been tough for us because it?s been way too warm and so there?s lots of open water. This means the eagles are spread out all over instead of concentrated in a few ice-free areas. Eagles that are not food-stressed are hard to attract to our baits for trapping!

?This year in New York, we wanted to capture a few birds along the Delaware River, along our southern border with the State of Pennsylvania. So our first full week of trapping effort this past week was directed there. Unfortunately, way too much "easy-pickings" for the eagles, and we had no luck attracting them to our baits. After a disappointing week, we had just about given up hope. The final day of trapping we decided to go after a young golden eagle that has been a regular visitor at our wintering area along the Mongaup River nearby.

?Around 3 pm what we thought was an immature bald eagle settled on the bait. Checking through binoculars we couldn't believe it, the golden eagle was back! This time we let it eat for almost ten minutes, getting comfortable and turning away from the net. As we watched, one brave raven came in to the carcass and began harassing the eagle, poking at its tail feathers and trying to make it leave...

A Golden Opportunity: Meet Eagle A20

?A young male with golden feathers covering the back of the head. When we released the bird a little later, it was carrying a new band, A20, and satellite transmitter. Since golden eagles are listed as a New York endangered species, the opportunity to see one up close was a rare pleasure. This is only the second golden eagle we have ever put a satellite radio on, and it will be very interesting to see where he goes. We wonder how a golden eagle?s movements and migration will compare to our bald eagles' from the same area. We?re especially curious if he?ll come back to this area of New York next winter. Stay tuned!

Sad Ending for Eagle F81: Caught in a Coyote Trap
?On a sad note, one of the eagles we caught three years ago, Eagle F81, was recovered dead. He was in Quebec, right over the Quebec/New Brunswick border, where he appeared to be nesting. He was, unfortunately, caught and killed during the fall of 2001 in a coyote trap up there. This has happened to some our tagged birds before. I suspect the trappers are using what are known as "open-bait" sets, where meat or some attractant is visible to aerial opportunists/scavengers such as raptors. Many states have either outlawed or discourage such open-bait sets already, due to this by-catch problem. Too bad for F81. He was a candidate for our nest-visits in summer, to try to trap the alternate adult (his mate). This would have resulted in another satellite radio--and a chance to have had radios on a nesting pair! F81's satellite radio is being refurbished at this time so it can be re-used.?

Until next time,

Eagle Eye Nye
New York State Dept. Environmental Conservation
Delmar, NY

Comparisons Between Golden and Bald Eagles
Golden and Bald Eagles are not as closely related as their names suggest. Bald Eagles belong to a group called "fishing eagles." Golden Eagles are more closely related to hawks called "buteos," a group which includes the Red-tailed Hawk. But Golden Eagles look a lot like immature Bald Eagles, from their huge size and 80-inch wingspan to their dark plumage.

Bald Eagles are usually found near water, but Golden Eagles can be found in very arid areas where there is no water for miles. Instead of a fish diet, golden eagles eat mostly mammals and birds--including two Journey North species, Whooping Cranes and Caribou calves!

  • Golden Eagles are the most important predator on the caribou calving grounds. Our caribou expert, Don Russell, witnessed a Golden Eagle attacking calves while the caribou moms were busy avoiding mosquitoes! (More...)
  • A whooping crane was knocked from the air by a Golden Eagle during the first experimental ultralight flight with Whooping Cranes in Fall, 1997. Read this account by our Whooping Crane expert, Tom Stehn. (More...)

Try This!
Make a list of ways that Golden Eagles are different from Bald Eagles, and ways that they are similar. How many of these differences might be due to their different diets?

Bald Eagle Adaptation: The Beak

Take a close look at the Bald Eagle?s beak--and compare it to that of the Golden Eagle. Why do birds? beaks look the way they do?

Challenge Question #7
?Why do you think both eagle species have hooked beaks? In your answer, chose at least one other bird and compare its beak to the Bald and Golden eagle beaks.?

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Eagle Home Range
Discussion of Challenge Question #3
"Based on one month's data, which eagle seems to have the smallest home range??

"When we looked at the entire month's data for the eagles, we decided that eagle #47 has moved the least,? said Stephen and Andrew of Grade 5 at Vermont?s Ferrisburgh Central School.

How right they are! Eagle E47 completed her fall migration on December 26 and, unlike the other eagles, she has stayed put all winter. If you have a good Internet connection, zoom in for a view of E47?s winter range using the GIS Map server. All of her locations since December are within about a 4 mile radius!


Click on image above to see E47's winter range.

Zoom in with the GIS Map Server
The Map Server allows you to make your own maps.

Human Home Range
Discussion of Challenge Question #4
"How does an eagle's winter range compare to your own? How much of your home range do you consider to be your territory?"

Again from those terrific students at Ferrisburgh Central School:

?Most of the eagles have a larger range during the month than we do. The one exception would be the eagle that is near our school - that one must have a good fishing place. In our newspaper this weekend, they had an article about how more bald eagles were spotted along the shores of Lake Champlain this winter because there is good fishing this year. The lake hasn't frozen completely. The eagles travel to different places to find more things to eat and shelter.

?We have a range that includes places to go skiing, play hockey, going to school, going to other people's homes, shopping and our own home. Sometimes we do travel to far places, but that isn't part of our typical range.

?We consider our school and especially our desks at our school to be our territory. Our houses and the land around that house is also our territory. Most of us feel very strongly that the territory we would be the quickest to defend is our bedroom!?

Ask the Eagle Expert: Deadline Friday, March 8
Your questions are still being accepted for Bald Eagle Expert Peter Nye. But hurry! Submit them before the deadline this Friday, March 8, 2002 at 5 p.m. (Eastern Time).

How to Respond to Today's Challenge Question:

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-eagle@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #7.
3. In the body of your message, answer the question above.

The Next Bald Eagle Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 12, 2002.

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