Bald eagle migration research - 31

Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (center) prepares to open the wings of a juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) so it may be photographed. Photos of a juvenile bald eagle’s molting, particularly in the head and tail feathers, can help determine its age before it reaches maturity due to the sequential molting pattern eagles experience during the first five years of their life. Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz (left), is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Assisting is Dr. Chris Wilmers, associate professor, University of California Santa Cruz (right). Watching the procedure is Dr. Taal Levi, wildlife ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (second from left). The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.

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ARGOS ARGOS satellite system Alaska Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Alaska Department of Natural Resources Alaska State Parks America Argos PTT BAEA Bald Eagle Council Grounds CLSAmerica Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Chilkat River Chilkat River Bald Eagle Preserve Chris Wilmers Christopher C. Wilmers Department of the Interior Haines Haliaeetus leucocephalus Klukwan Microwave Telemetry Microwave Telemetry Inc. North America PTT PTT-100 70 gram Argos/GPS Solar Powered PTT Platform Transmitting Terminal Rachel E. Wheat Rachel Wheat Solar Argos/GPS PTT Stephen B. Lewis Steve Lewis Taal Levi U.S. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service UCSC US USA USFWS United States United States of America University of California University of California - Santa Cruz animal animals aves avian bald eagle bird bird of prey birds birds of prey data logger data pusher eagle eagles education fauna four people gps tag gps transmitter graduate student horizontal nature outdoor research outdoors protected land raptors research research equipment satellite telemetry satellite transmitter scenery snow solar-powered satellite gps transmitter southeast Alaska team work teamwork wildlife

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Bald eagle research - Chilkat River eagle migration study