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Thank you to all of the participants in the EagleTrak Naming Contest; nearly 1200 individuals voted. Camellia (the eaglet banded NC in April) was custom-fitted with a lightweight satellite transmitter on May 5th at Norfolk Botanical Garden. We all look forward to the day Camellia fledges and finding-out whether her travels will have any similarities to Azalea's.

Would you like to know more about the voting results? Click here.

1193 total voters

Top vote-getters (in order of popularity)

Camellia
Cedar
Magnolia
Iris
Acer (maple tree genus)
Loblolly
Rose
Tupelo

Popular/topical female names:
• Blossom, Holly, Begonia, and names that include Lily/Lilly
Popular/topical male names:
• Dogwood, Teddy for loblolly species Pinus taeda, Tracker/Trakker, Hedge

A sampling of thoughtful/popular suggested names:

• References to Norfolk and/or the Norfolk Botanical Garden or the nest locality (e.g., Chessie/Chesapeake, Virginia, Mr/Ms NoBo)
• In recognition of NBG EagleTrak partners’ hard work: Reese after CCB Research Assistant, Reese Lukei, Jr.; Nate or Nuckols to recognize the hard work of Tim Nuckols’ arborist services and tree-climber, Nate; Liberty (nicknamed Libby) for Libby Mojica and CCB’s eagle research & project leadership; and Watson (Watt’s son) for Bryan Watts’ leadership in eagle conservation
• Commemorating friends, loved ones, and famous persons, such as Colbert, Egbert, Icarus, Lindy, and Denver to name a few
• Words that mean eagle: Migizi, Kwahu (Hopi), Wamblee (Sioux), Suki (Moquelumnan for female eagle), Wambleeska (Sioux for white eagle), Tuari (Hokan for male young eagle)
• Names having to do with snow (e.g. Snowball, Snowflake, Snowbird)
• Patriotic names (Freedom, Patriot/Patricia, Liberty/Libby, Spirit, Independence, Justice)
• Suggestions that were clever and/or made us laugh: SAM (for the chicks hatched Sat/Sun a.m.), Obsession, Colbertta, Scruffy, Potato Chip, Radar, Barnstormer

Adopt an EagleTrak eagle

Please consider supporting the EagleTrak satellite tracking project by adopting either Camellia (hatched 3/11/10, banded NC) or 1 year-old Azalea (hatched 3/22/09, banded HH).

The Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) requires financial support to purchase the transmitter apparatus and continue data transmission for each eagle we follow. The satellite transmitter and data collection for the the Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) eagles are funded solely by CCB and public citizens like you. We have partnered with Seaturtle.org to host the eagle’s location maps. These are available on both Seaturtle.org and their new website wildlifetracking.org. When you adopt, you’ll receive an adoption packet in the mail with a photo, map, and information about the eagle. 100% of your adoption funds will be used to pay for the tracking of your adopted eagle from NBG.

2011 'Garden of Eagles' calendar

The Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) has joined VDGIF and the Wildlife Center of VA in offering the 2011 "Garden of Eagles" calendar. Uniquely highlighting the eagle pair at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in Norfolk, Virginia, stunning photos from local and out-of-state photographers document the 2010 nesting season of this pair, which is watched by thousands worldwide on the WVEC EagleCam.

Visit the 'Garden of Eagles' homepage to order your own.

Click to read more details.

The calendar, produced by the Wildlife Center of Virginia, is in honor of 'Buddy,' the 2008 NBG eagle that was removed from the nest when he contracted avian pox. He was taken to WCV, where he was treated and cared for. On his second hatchday, April 27th, 2010, WCV announced that Buddy would become a permanent resident and is now being trained to join WCV's corps of non-releaseable education animals. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will go toward building a permanent flight enclosure for 'Buddy,' with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries non-game fund and the Center for Conservation Biology's satellite tracking program.

You can now pre-order your copy of the 2011 "Garden of Eagles" calendar. The cost is $20 for a 11" x 17", 12 month wall calendar that includes 18 large, color photographs and over 30 smaller photographs. The calendar has 'special highlight' dates pertaining to the 2010 nesting season. Information concerning the different wildlife organizations have been included, along with some general information about the bald eagle.

Please help support the organizations that protect wildlife and purchase a copy of this unique calendar. There will be a limited quantity available, so be sure to order yours soon. The calendars are expected to be shipped in September.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why track the eagle’s movements with a satellite transmitter?

Eagles can travel great distances in a single day making ground-tracking nearly impossible. Seasonal migration movements can range from 100 to 2500 miles.

How long will the transmitter send locations?

The transmitter harness is made out of Teflon ribbon. The harness is designed to be durable and can endure several years exposed to the elements. That being said, we have also had several eagles cut the harness off with their bills, prematurely ending their tracking time.

How long will the transmitter stay on the eagle?

The transmitter’s rechargeable battery is expected to last a minimum of 3 years.

Where will the eagle go?

We have always assumed eagles hatched from Chesapeake Bay nests will stay within the Chesapeake Bay region. Our recent eagle research using satellite transmitters has revealed Bay nestlings’ movements range from Labrador, Canada south to North Carolina. This technology has taught us to never underestimate the distances these eagles will travel in search of food.

Will the eagle return to its nest?

Recently fledged juvenile eagles are dependent on their parents to feed them and teach them to hunt prey. This post-fledging dependency period can range from a few weeks to several months. After the juvenile eagle disperses from its natal area, it will continue to return to the nest periodically over the next few years.

How long until the eagle can breed?

Eagles typically breed when they reach 5 years old. There have been a few cases reported of 3 yr old eagles breeding but these are rare incidents. We expect the eagle to return to the Norfolk area to breed in approximately 5 years.

Does the backpack transmitter interfere with mating behavior?

In our experience, male and female eagles can successfully mate and raise young while wearing the transmitters. We are continuing to track one adult female who has now raised two consecutive broods of chicks after we fit her with a transmitter in 2007.

Are other eagles being tracked with satellite transmitters?

Yes, we currently have 63 transmitters on bald and golden eagles from the Chesapeake Bay. You can view their movements on wildlifetracking.org. Additional information on this eagle research can be found in several of CCB’s e-newsletter articles.

Bald Eagle Concentration Areas in the Chesapeake Region

Tracking migrant eagles returning to Chesapeake Bay

Eagle movements throughout the Chesapeake and beyond

Golden eagle tracked to northern summering area

What will you do with the data collected?

With over 30 years of data collected on Bald Eagles in the Chesapeake Bay, the Center for Conservation Biology is just beginning to scratch the surface on understanding this complex species. Bald Eagles were declared a recovery success and removed from the Endangered Species List in 2007. Although the species continues to have federal protection, there are many known and unknown threats to the species continued growth in Eastern North America. We plan to use the telemetry location data to understand eagles’ use of shoreline habitat, locate and protect communal roosts, and monitor juvenile survival rates.

Have a question we haven't answered?