New York bald eagle biologist Peter Nye is now preparing to capture the bald eagle we'll track back to its nest this spring. Each February for the past 3 years, he and a team of field assistants have captured eagles on their wintering grounds in Upstate New York and fitted them with satellite backpacks. They capture the eagles by putting out bait and then shooting a net over the unsuspecting eagles. You can think about him over the next few days, waiting for our eagle!
EAGLES ON THE WINTERING GROUNDS
As you prepare to track this migration, ask yourself, "What
can we learn about migration by studying the eagles'
wintering grounds?"
For example: During the nesting season, eagles are usually seen in pairs. Each pair guards & defends its own nesting territory, keeping other eagles away. In contrast, during the winter months eagles often congregate in large groups. Listed below are 10 of the largest bald eagle wintering sites in the United States. See if you can answer this CHALLENGE QUESTION after you located all of the sites on a map. (We've included the name of the nearest town so you can find each place with the help of a road atlas.)
To answer this challenge question, follow the instructions at the end of this report.
The Ten Largest Bald Eagle Wintering Sites
in the United States
ALASKA
3,000 eagles
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve (Chilkat River, near Haines)
CALIFORNIA
1,100 eagles
Lower Klamath River (near Dorris, CA)
WISCONSIN
650 eagles
Nelson Dewey State Park (Mississippi River, near Cassville, WS)
WASHINGTON
450 eagles
Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area
(Skagit River, 30 miles east of Sedro Wooley, WA)
IOWA
400 eagles
Mississippi River Lock and Dam 19 (near Keokuk, IA)
NEBRASKA
350 eagles
Kingsley Dam (Lake Ogallala, near Ogallala)
MONTANA
300 eagles
Hauser Lake (Canyon Ferry Dam on Missouri River, near Helena, MT)
WYOMING
200 eagles
Woodruff Narrows Reservoir (Bear River, near Evanston)
KANSAS
200 eagles
Perry Reservoir (East of Topeka)
IDAHO
200
South Fork of the Snake River (near Pallisades, Idaho)
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How to Respond to this Journey North Challenge Question
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #5
3. In the body of the message, give your answer to Challenge Question #5: Why do you think eagles congregate at these places during the winter months?
We'll share your ideas and those of other students in future reports. You can also see Challenge Question responses on Journey North's WWW site.
The Next Bald Eagle Migration Update Will Be Posted on February 26, 1996.
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