|
The Golden Eagle is a rare resident of the Eastern United States. They are most commonly found in the Eastern US during the winter months when the Canadian golden eagle population migrates south throughout the Appalachian Mountains in search of prey and a warmer climate. Golden Eagles have been sighted in the mid-Atlantic region during all months of the year. The species historically bred in the mountains of New York, New Hampshire, and Maine. Currently, there are no documented breeding pairs in the eastern U.S. The core breeding areas for the eastern population are in the Canadian provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Labrador, and Ontario. In 2008, The Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) initiated a long-term study of Golden Eagles in the mid-Atlantic region. In cooperation with the US Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground, 2 golden eagles were trapped on deer carcasses in March 2008 on the upper Chesapeake Bay. That same month, a third golden was trapped in Highland Co, VA. A 70g GPS-PTT satellite transmitter (Microwave Telemetry, Inc) was fitted to each bird with a backpack style harness. The units record hourly GPS coordinates and transmit this data to CCB biologists via satellite and email. All three Golden Eagles migrate out of the mid-Atlantic region and spend summers in Maine and Canada. We presume these eagles are winter visitors to Virginia and Maryland and return to their natal areas in Maine and Canada for the summer months. These eagles show high fidelity to their summer and winter territories, so we expect to see them back in the mid-Atlantic region each fall and winter. Click on the individual PTT numbers (on the left navigation bar) for each eagle's tracking map. Migration maps will be updated when the eagles begin their next spring or fall migration.
|
||
 |
