We often say that the science of bird banding is like putting a message in a bottle and throwing it into the ocean. Data can only be recorded if someone else finds the bottle, or in other words, resights the bird and reports its band. While this data is useful, it is limited. Now, researchers at the Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) in Gainesville have partnered with the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey to change the way we track Bald Eagles. By outfitting eagles with GPS tracking devices before they are released to the wild, we will generate data that answers several key questions about Bald Eagle movement patterns in the state of Florida and beyond. The first satellite-tagged juvenile eagle in the study was released in Osceola County on March 22.
Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the nation: In the last 15 years, the population has grown 25%. In that same period, the Bald Eagle population here has doubled. With more eagles competing for habitat in a state that is rapidly developing, movement and migration patterns could be changing. Our researchers hope to understand how developing land has affected Bald Eagles’ local and migratory movement, and how we can continue to ensure the conservation of this species.
While the Center for Birds of Prey has an existing auxiliary band study looking at whether the type of nest structure (tree or man-made) an eagle hatches in influences the nest type in which they choose to breed, the GPS trackers will give further insight into these choices. Do immature Bald Eagles return to the region where they hatched before they reach breeding age? Are they returning to the same region to breed? What areas in the state are currently important to Bald Eagles? And how does this information change depending on whether an eagle is male or female?
From now through 2028, up to four Bald Eagles per year will be fitted with backpack GPS units designed specifically for the species, weighing less than 2-3% of the bird’s body weight and modeled after a design that researchers have used successfully on dozens of other bird species for 30 years. Each eagle will be tracked for up to three years.
Funding for the initial year of the study was recently secured, and a juvenile Bald Eagle was selected as the first bird in the study. Patient 2025-0085 was admitted to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey’s Raptor Trauma Clinic on February 22 after “fludging” (falling out of the nest before ready to fly) from his nest on a powerline tower in The Villages. After some TLC and flight conditioning, he was ready to go. After a month at the Center, he was released near a lake in Osceola County with a large population of Bald Eagles to act as surrogate family as he learned the skills needed to survive on his own.
We held our breath as we awaited the first location reports and were relieved to see him exploring the local area in ever-widening paths before eventually striking out on a rapid flight west across the state to Honeymoon Island. From there he headed north, as expected, for his first migration up the Atlantic Flyway, stopping north of Gainesville where he foraged in an open field for a few days before continuing on past Savannah, GA and eventually up into South Carolina.
We want to thank the generous donors who sponsored the four tags for this inaugural season, bringing to fruition a long-time dream of EagleWatch Program Manager, Shawnlei Breeding. “I still have to pinch myself that this is finally happening! And I’m so grateful for our partnership with ARCI, and the wonderful donors supporting this vital research. I’ve felt like a proud parent watching our first tagged eagle thriving in the wild and following his instincts to head north for migration. I can’t wait to see where he and the other tagged eagles go!”
