Golden Eagle Surveys and Telemetry
The Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, is one of the most widely distributed eagles in North America. This species migrates large distances between summer and winter grounds and is typically only present in Tennessee during the winter. However, there are some Golden Eagles in Tennessee year-round, and these birds are likely descendants of a hacking program implemented by TWRA between 1995 and 2006.
Golden Eagles migrate to Tennessee from Canada during the winter, spending much of this time in large tracts of forests. They have been observed feeding on carrion in fields and along roads. It was once thought these migrating Golden Eagles were only located in eastern Tennessee, but recent surveys indicate high densities of birds in southern Tennessee along the Alabama state line.
Wildlife Diversity personnel have established multiple survey sites across middle Tennessee to document wintering Golden Eagles. Trail cameras are used to take photographs throughout the day at each site. Once Golden Eagles begin frequenting the site, all efforts are made to capture the animals. Once captured, the birds are tested for lead poisoning, and a large transmitter is attached to their back.
This transmitter records location data for 2-3 years. Migration data has become extremely important in identifying routes of migration and wintering areas within the state.
The project:
TWRA's lead research on Golden Eagles wintering in Tennessee is part of a large project across the Appalachian Mountains coordinated by Dr. Todd Katzner at West Virginia University and the Eastern Golden Eagle Working Group, presenting information on the project at AppalachianEagles.org.
Research is designed to document occurrences of Eastern Golden Eagles on the wintering grounds, which will allow for a greater understanding of population size and habitat use.
Through tracking birds with transmitters, we are hoping to better understand specific habitat uses, spatial movements, migration corridors, esp. in areas where there is potential for wind development, effects of spent lead ammunition, leghold traps, and fragmentation of forests on Eastern Golden Eagles.
Ultimately, we will gain more information about the origin of Eastern Golden Eagles wintering in Tennessee and the southeast as the birds collect data year-round and will provide detailed information on breeding locations.
In January 2014, TWRA staff, Daniel Moss at Fort Campbell, USFWS, and TNC personnel operated at least 19 bait sites across Tennessee from Haywood County and the Hatchie River to the TN-NC state line.
Golden Eagles were only recorded on 5 sites, which is an unusually low percentage of sites with birds as compared to previous years' success rates.
We began trapping efforts the last week of January 2014 and continued through mid-February. Trapping success was low (lots of unusual technical issues and nervous birds), but Mike and Trish also trapped in Alabama for a week and caught three birds south of the border!
As of 21 February 2014, they trapped 3 birds in Alabama that are flying around with transmitters purchased by partners in Alabama, 2 birds caught at the Hytop site in Alabama that have (or will get) a TN purchased transmitter, while a 3rd bird was caught at Unaka Mountain just into North Carolina (he has a TN transmitter as well).
In January 2012, TWRA and TNC managed 15 different bait sites for Golden Eagles and documented Golden Eagles at 6 different locations in eastern Tennessee.
In January-February 2013, TWRA, USFWS, and TNC operated 10 bait sites and documented Golden Eagles at 5 sites.
We also trapped 3 Golden Eagles and attached GPS transmitters that send data to cellular communication towers.
Transmitters are developed, deployed, and data is managed by Cellular Tracking Technologies.
Proper credit must be given to the folks who did all the hard work on this project:
TWRA - Josh Campbell, Terry Hopkins, Chris Simpson, Dustin Thames, Chris Ogle, Scott Dykes, Sterling Daniels, Rob Colvin, Jeremy Dennison, Keith Thomas, Tommy Edwards, and Mark Vance in addition to other WMA managers and technicians.
Mary Miller with USFS and Ken McDonald with USFWS. Eric Soehren, with Alabama DCNR, coordinated with Frank Allen at a site in north Alabama. Chris Kelly with the NC Wildlife Commission coordinated sites in western NC. Daniel Moss at Ft Campbell.
Trish Miller and Michael Lanzone, in coordination with Scott Somershoe (TWRA), worked with field personnel to trap birds. Todd Katznerwith West Virginia University (now USGS in Boise) was and still is the brainchild behind the entire Golden Eagle research project.
Photos
