RJ
12-19-2006, 11:43 PM
New York State Eagles Lay, Hatch, and Fledge Record Number of Eggs and Young
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced that 2006 bald eagle populations have increased statewide from previous years and are currently at record numbers.
*Although we have become accustomed to increasing yearly records with our growing bald eagle population, the 2006 season established new records and biologists were delighted when they added up the numbers,* Commissioner Sheehan said. *The 2006 season was remarkable. These results are a true testament to the hard working, committed staff at DEC and they should be congratulated for their efforts.*
Each year, DEC wildlife staff and volunteer *nest-watchers* monitor the nesting eagle population, a greater effort each year as the population continues to grow. Known nesting territories are monitored early in the spring to confirm returning adults, the location of the nest, the date of egg-laying, and the hatching of young. In addition, considerable time is spent trying to locate new nesting pairs in areas where adult eagles may have regularly been seen.
Once active nests are identified, DEC staff and volunteers visit each site to confirm the number of young produced, place a protective predator guard around each nest tree (aluminum flashing to prevent raccoons from climbing nest trees and killing eggs or young), band the young, inspect the nest for security and contents, and fix the location with a GPS device. The GPS locating effort is instrumental since all locations are placed into the State*s Master Habitat Database which is scanned thousands of times a year when development or other projects are being considered around the State.
Since not all nests are on public lands, during nest visits, personal contact with the landowner is established to garner the landowner*s support in the protection of this special occurrence, as well as to discuss bald eagle biology and needs. Almost without exception, landowners are pleased and proud that they have eagles nesting on their land, and are eager to help in any way they can. It is necessary to have landowner support since landowners are the first, and best, line of defense in protecting the reestablished eagle population.
Since 1975, when the Fledgling Endangered Species Program began, DEC staff have monitored and documented annual bald eagle nesting throughout the State. In that same year, an ambitious, never before attempted plan to restore bald eagles to New York State was developed and implemented beginning in 1976. Over the next 13 years, more than 200 nesting eagles were released by *hacking* at four locations around New York. Hacking is a process of hand-rearing young eagles into the wild in the absence of parent birds with minimal human contact.
The breeding population began to grow quickly during the 1980s, and has continued to grow. By 1980, two productive pairs of eagles were reestablished; by 1987, four pairs; by 1991, 16 pairs; by 1997, 35 pairs; by 2001, 64 pairs; and by 2005, 92 pairs of eagles fledged 112 young into the sky.
During the first week of May 2006, nest visits began and almost all nests had hatched. In the following two months, it was apparent that significantly more nests with three eaglets were encountered than ever before. By the time the final tally was completed in August 2006, a remarkable 172 young were counted as fledged from 110 nesting pairs in New York State during the 2006 breeding season.
These results mark a 20% increase in nesting pairs and a 54% increase in fledged young over 2005. Overall in 2006, 76% of all eagle pairs that nested in the State were successful in fledging young, with 30% of them producing three eaglets. The long-term average of nests with three eaglets is typically between 5-10% of all productive pairs. Biologists attribute this significant number of eaglets to very favorable mild and dry weather during the late winter and early spring when eagles were laying and hatching eggs, as well as the State and Federal initiatives in place to protect these species.
DEC*s annual bald eagle report and additional information on New York State eagles can be found at: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/endspec/eagleprogram.html on the DEC website.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced that 2006 bald eagle populations have increased statewide from previous years and are currently at record numbers.
*Although we have become accustomed to increasing yearly records with our growing bald eagle population, the 2006 season established new records and biologists were delighted when they added up the numbers,* Commissioner Sheehan said. *The 2006 season was remarkable. These results are a true testament to the hard working, committed staff at DEC and they should be congratulated for their efforts.*
Each year, DEC wildlife staff and volunteer *nest-watchers* monitor the nesting eagle population, a greater effort each year as the population continues to grow. Known nesting territories are monitored early in the spring to confirm returning adults, the location of the nest, the date of egg-laying, and the hatching of young. In addition, considerable time is spent trying to locate new nesting pairs in areas where adult eagles may have regularly been seen.
Once active nests are identified, DEC staff and volunteers visit each site to confirm the number of young produced, place a protective predator guard around each nest tree (aluminum flashing to prevent raccoons from climbing nest trees and killing eggs or young), band the young, inspect the nest for security and contents, and fix the location with a GPS device. The GPS locating effort is instrumental since all locations are placed into the State*s Master Habitat Database which is scanned thousands of times a year when development or other projects are being considered around the State.
Since not all nests are on public lands, during nest visits, personal contact with the landowner is established to garner the landowner*s support in the protection of this special occurrence, as well as to discuss bald eagle biology and needs. Almost without exception, landowners are pleased and proud that they have eagles nesting on their land, and are eager to help in any way they can. It is necessary to have landowner support since landowners are the first, and best, line of defense in protecting the reestablished eagle population.
Since 1975, when the Fledgling Endangered Species Program began, DEC staff have monitored and documented annual bald eagle nesting throughout the State. In that same year, an ambitious, never before attempted plan to restore bald eagles to New York State was developed and implemented beginning in 1976. Over the next 13 years, more than 200 nesting eagles were released by *hacking* at four locations around New York. Hacking is a process of hand-rearing young eagles into the wild in the absence of parent birds with minimal human contact.
The breeding population began to grow quickly during the 1980s, and has continued to grow. By 1980, two productive pairs of eagles were reestablished; by 1987, four pairs; by 1991, 16 pairs; by 1997, 35 pairs; by 2001, 64 pairs; and by 2005, 92 pairs of eagles fledged 112 young into the sky.
During the first week of May 2006, nest visits began and almost all nests had hatched. In the following two months, it was apparent that significantly more nests with three eaglets were encountered than ever before. By the time the final tally was completed in August 2006, a remarkable 172 young were counted as fledged from 110 nesting pairs in New York State during the 2006 breeding season.
These results mark a 20% increase in nesting pairs and a 54% increase in fledged young over 2005. Overall in 2006, 76% of all eagle pairs that nested in the State were successful in fledging young, with 30% of them producing three eaglets. The long-term average of nests with three eaglets is typically between 5-10% of all productive pairs. Biologists attribute this significant number of eaglets to very favorable mild and dry weather during the late winter and early spring when eagles were laying and hatching eggs, as well as the State and Federal initiatives in place to protect these species.
DEC*s annual bald eagle report and additional information on New York State eagles can be found at: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/endspec/eagleprogram.html on the DEC website.