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Background
Four immature bald eagles rescued from a muddy silt pit in Charles County, Maryland on May 7, 2002 have been rehabilitated at the Baltimore
Zoo animal hospital and Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research and returned to the wild. On May 27, 2002, Governor Parris N. Glendening and
Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife and Heritage Service staff released the four eagles at Sandy Point State Park. Prior to release a transmitter was placed on the back of
each immature eagle and is being tracked by satellite. The satellite transmitters were provided by the non-profit organization
EARTHSPAN.
Satellite tracking is an advanced technique for monitoring movements of wild animals. It is an ideal way to monitor the movement of birds, such as bald eagles. From bird banding data, we know that immature bald eagles move throughout the Chesapeake Bay to find a permanent home range.
Determining the daily movement patterns of bald eagles provides wildlife biologists with important information that will improve our chances to protect and conserve this threatened species and our national symbol. You can share in this adventure by viewing the maps that document the daily movements of these four immature eagles. The maps on the webpage were up-dated weekly through May 2003, and are now posted monthly. Updated January 7, 2004 |
However, bird-banding data did not allow us to determine daily movement patterns. Satellite tracking provides that opportunity.