Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society and Golden Eagle Research

Golden Eagle Research Update

The Franklin Mountain Hawk Watch has become "the" place to see goldens in New York. If you've visited the watch on a good day, you've seen goldens flying 200 feet off the ground, using the updraft from the ridge to glide its length. This migratory behavior, where birds concentrate along ridges, is typical of Golden Eagles. Unfortunately, it puts the birds in the very same space that developers target for siting their wind power projects.

The DOAS Board understands the threats posed by the burning of fossil fuels. We support properly sited wind projects. However, we have grown concerned about impacts to birds and bats. As many as 60,000 wind turbines will be required to reach national energy goals. Many will be built along the ridges of New York and Pennsylvania. Some of those ridges, like Franklin Mountain, will attract raptors.

As a species, the Golden Eagle is especially vulnerable to wind turbines. It has been called the species which "appears to be at the highest risk". Knowing that during the fall migration more eastern goldens pass our site than anywhere else this far north, we feel a special responsibility to protect "our" birds. This isn't easy since away from our site almost nothing is known about how and where they migrate and forage in New York. To learn more about this NYS Endangered Species so they can be protected, we have joined with scientists studying Golden Eagles in Pennsylvania to expand their ongoing study of winter ranges and migration routes in New York.

Using a wealth of data on the locations and movements of Golden Eagles that were trapped and fitted with transmitters, and the help of Dr. Katzner and GIS expert Trish Miller, we have identified areas in New York to target for this research. (Note: DOAS supporters contributed to the cost of a GPS transmitter for this research.)

We began successfully collecting spring migration data in southern Delaware County in early March 2009. During spring 2010, counting was done on three ridges in eastern Otsego County. See reports on these efforts at right.

The 54 Golden Eagles counted at Betty and Wilbur Davis State Park in 2010 were so promising, we scheduled a full month of counting for March 2011. Unfortunately, Golden Eagles were scarce on the ridges this past spring. Numbers were well below average at the well known Pennsylvania sites. Our golden count dropped to 34 birds.

All data gathered from these New York State surveys is available for use by other researchers. This information will help identify where eagles concentrate so threats in those areas can be addressed. This data can be found at Hawkcount.org. The spring season site names are all prefaced with DOAS.

Wintering Eagles in New York

During the winters of 2010 and 2011, we used baited wildlife cameras to locate winter resident Golden Eagles. We have had Golden Eagles at our sites each year. Bald Eagles also visited some of the sites. Other photographed scavengers include multiple Common Ravens — sometimes groups over 40 in number, many Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks, American Crows, coyotes, a bobcat, foxes of both species, skunks, opossums, and a Barred Owl. The motion-activated digital cameras, also known as game or trail cameras, were stationed at high elevations in Delaware and Otsego Counties. Road-killed deer were used as bait; deer that had been euthanized were not used if there were any concerns about lead poisoning of the scavengers. We hope to repeat this effort next winter at different locations. (See some representative photos.)

We express our appreciation to all who have helped with this effort to protect Golden Eagles. If you would like to support this research, donations are always welcome to broaden the scope of these studies in New York State.

Last updated April 11, 2011

Want to Know More?
Our collaborators at the National Aviary and Carnegie Museum of Natural History are now tracking several Golden and Bald Eagles with telemetry units. You can see maps of their travels like the one below.

Download a copy of our original research proposal in 2007.

Download one of our research reports:

Spring 2010 Eagle Survey in Otsego County.

Spring 2009 Eagle Survey in Delaware County.

Want to help?

Learn the field marks for telling Golden Eagles from Bald Eagles.

Contact Tom Salo, (607) 965-8232, to volunteer to help record Golden Eagle data, or with any questions.