The Raptor Resource Project is conducting a study on Golden Eagles (GOEA) to answer questions about their winter and summer grounds, migration route timing and fidelity, the familial ties among Golden Eagles wintering in our region, levels of lead and mercury, and the presence of HPAI antibodies. Does lead exert an influence on Golden Eagle populations? Have they been exposed to HPAI? What are their specific habitat requirements? While Western and Eastern Golden Eagles have undergone extensive research, there remains a notable gap in understanding regarding the interior population.
So far, we’ve deployed ten transmitters and gathered blood and parasites for testing and identification. We’re looking forward to finding out whether the eagles are related, if they’ve encountered HPAI, and whether they have lead or mercury in their bloodstreams. Will GOEA, similar to the northern tundrius subspecies of peregrine falcons, exhibit elevated blood mercury levels? Are they carrion eaters like bald eagles, thus susceptible to lead poisoning? Answers—or at least valuable avenues for further research—won’t be long coming!
Where are Golden Eagles 733, 834, and 833?
Ryan Schmitz has been creating maps and keeping us up to date on the GOEA, who – despite the warm weather! – are still on their wintering grounds. We’re sharing three eagles on our interactive maps if you’d like to follow them: https://www.raptorresource.org/learning-tools/eagle-map/. We were amazed when bald eagles D1 and D27 summered in northern Ontario, but the Golden Eagles we are tracking summer even farther north: up where the sun quite literally doesn’t set! Right now, 733 is a little SE of Neilsville, WI and 833 is about 30 miles south of Decorah. We haven’t heard from 834 since December, but at the time, he was located NE of Alma, WI…not too far from his original capture location.
Exploring the realm of bird-watching reveals the intricate tapestry of ecosystems and individual existences intertwining as unexpected connections emerge, unveiling the marvel of enduring relationships among species and their surroundings, while shedding light on the diverse lifestyles of seemingly similar birds. We’re certainly looking forward to our test results, but we are also profoundly grateful for the opportunity to delve deeper into their fascinating world.
The Raptor Resource Project